HM Treasury

Government Shareholding

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which companies the Government retains golden shares in for the purpose of limiting overseas ownership; and what the terms are of such shares.

Greg Hands: In December 2015, the NAO issued the report ‘Companies in government’. As shown in Figure 7 of this report, at 31 March 2014 the government held special shares in 11 companies, across 5 departments. Changes since 31 March 2014 are shown in Figure 9 of the same report. The exact terms of those special shares will be a matter for the relevant Secretary of State, depending on the specific arrangements that were put in place for each company.

Treasury: Pay

Sarah Champion: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, (a) how much has been paid to officials of his Department as an additional incentive for working overtime on top of their normal overtime payments, (b) how much has been offered to any individual staff member for a one-off occurrence, (c) how many staff received such incentivised additional payments, (d) from which budgets such payments were made and (e) at which Ministerial or official level the business cases or payment approval for such payments was made in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) 2016 to date.

Harriett Baldwin: The Treasury pays officials where overtime working is necessary. It does not offer additional incentives on top of official’s normal overtime payments nor does it pay for one-off occurrences.

Corporation Tax: Northern Ireland

Tom Elliott: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the automatic application to Northern Ireland of any change in corporation tax in Great Britain.

Mr David Gauke: The Corporation Tax (Northern Ireland) Act 2015 allows for devolution to the Northern Ireland Assembly of the power to set a Northern Ireland rate of corporation tax for certain trading income. Commencement of this legislation remains dependent on the Executive demonstrating that its finances are on a sustainable footing. In advance of the legislation being commenced and any new Northern Ireland rate being in operation, any change to the UK rate of corporation tax will apply across the UK, including Northern Ireland. After commencement the Northern Ireland rate would apply to certain trading income arising in Northern Ireland. The UK wide rate of corporation tax would continue to apply to other income.

Revenue and Customs: Northern Ireland

Tom Elliott: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will reverse plans to close HM Revenue and Customs offices in Northern Ireland following the UK vote to leave the EU.

Mr David Gauke: There are no immediate changes to our plans for HM Revenue and Customs in Northern Ireland, or elsewhere in the UK, following the referendum vote.

Public Finance

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in what year he predicts the UK will achieve a budget surplus.

Harriett Baldwin: The Office for Budget Responsibility will produce a revised forecast for the UK public finances in the autumn, which will take account of the UK’s decision to leave the EU, alongside other developments in the economy and public finances.

Public Finance

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate when the Exchequer will next achieve a surplus.

Harriett Baldwin: The Office for Budget Responsibility will produce a revised forecast for the UK public finances in the autumn, which will take account of the UK’s decision to leave the EU, alongside other developments in the economy and public finances.

Apprentices: Taxation

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of excluding agency workers from the pay bill when determining a company's liability for paying the Apprenticeship Levy due to such workers' ineligibility for apprenticeships.

Mr David Gauke: Where an employment agency supplies labour to a client and pays Class 1 secondary National Insurance contributions for those workers, they will be liable to pay the levy, providing their annual pay bill exceeds £3million. The government recognises the important contribution that contingent labour makes to the economy, however, excluding agency workers would create adverse incentives to hire all staff off-payroll. The government will support all employers in using the levy funds to invest in apprenticeships and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills is working with employers to create apprenticeships across all sectors.

Infrastructure: Expenditure

Philip Davies: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Government spent on infrastructure projects in each of the last three years.

Greg Hands: The National Infrastructure Pipeline shows planned annual infrastructure investment to the end of the decade and beyond. It was first published in 2011 and has been regularly updated since. The pipeline includes planned investment figures for each year of a project or programme. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-infrastructure-pipeline-2016. At Spending Round 2013, the Chancellor announced the government would invest over £100 billion in infrastructure by the end of the current Parliament. Since 2010, over a quarter of a trillion pounds has been spent on infrastructure and around 3,000 individual projects have been completed.

Taxation: Self-assessment

Andrew Stephenson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of HM Revenue and Customs' preparedness for handling customer enquiries in advance of the January 2017 self-assessment deadline.

Mr David Gauke: January is always a peak time for customer contact and, as in previous years, will be subject to detailed resource planning. This planning is still at an early stage.

Taxation

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which existing agreements on taxation jurisdictions of individuals will be affected by the UK leaving the EU.

Mr David Gauke: The UK has more than 120 Double Taxation Agreements, including Agreements with EU Member States. These Agreements include provisions allocating between jurisdictions taxing rights over the income of individuals who are resident in one jurisdiction and have income from sources in the other. Because each of these Agreements is a bilateral treaty between the UK Government and the partner jurisdiction, which exists outside the framework of the EU and its governing treaties, they will not be affected by the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Corporation Tax

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will update the Business Tax Road Map in light of his recent proposals on the change to corporation tax.

Mr David Gauke: The Business Tax Road Map sets out the Government’s clear plans for business taxes to 2020 and beyond. It outlines the Government’s objectives for a competitive business tax system that is nonetheless fair and protected against multinational tax avoidance The Chancellor’s ambitions to cut the corporation tax rate further are entirely consistent with these principles.

Corporation Tax

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will set out his plans for reaching the new target for corporation tax of less that 15 per cent.

Mr David Gauke: The Chancellor set out his ambition to build on the work of the last six years and go even further in reducing the rate of corporation tax to 15% or lower.

Corporation Tax

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of a reduction in corporation tax to (a) 15 (b) 14 and (c) 10 per cent on (i) GDP, (ii) unemployment and (iii) investment in (A) 2016, (B) 2017, (C) 2017, (D) 2018, (E) 2019 and (F) 2010.

Mr David Gauke: The corporation tax reductions since 2010 have been designed to increase the competitiveness of the UK business tax system and to support investment and jobs in the UK. Their positive effect has been evidenced by strong growth in GDP, employment, and business investment since 2010. The Chancellor has now set out his ambition to reduce the corporation tax rate further, to 15 percent or below, to reinforce this strategy and send a clear message that the UK is open for business. Updated government economic modelling set out in the Business Tax Road Map suggests that corporation tax cuts delivered since 2010 could increase long-run GDP by over 1 percent. Details of this model can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/analysis-of-the-dynamic-effects-of-corporation-tax-reductions

Corporation Tax

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential annual cost to the Exchequer of a reduction in corporation tax to (a) 15 (b) 14 and (c) 10 per cent.

Mr David Gauke: The corporation tax reductions since 2010 have been designed to increase the competitiveness of the UK business tax system and to support investment and jobs in the UK. Their positive effect has been evidenced by strong growth in GDP, employment, and business investment since 2010. The Chancellor has now set out his ambition to reduce the corporation tax rate further, to 15% or below, to reinforce this strategy and send a clear message that the UK is open for business. However, since 2010-11, onshore corporation tax receipts have increased almost 20%, despite lowering the rate from 28% to 20%.

Corporation Tax

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of a reduction of corporation tax to (a) 15 (b) 14 and (c) 10 per cent by (i) UK region and (ii sector.

Mr David Gauke: The corporation tax reductions since 2010 have been designed to increase the competitiveness of the UK business tax system and to support investment and jobs in the UK. Their positive effect has been evidenced by strong growth in GDP, employment, and business investment since 2010. The Chancellor has now set out his ambition to reduce the corporation tax rate further, to 15 percent or below, to reinforce this strategy and send a clear message that the UK is open for business. Further breakdowns of the corporation tax paying population can be found in HMRC’s annual analyses of receipts: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/524565/Corporation_Tax_Statistics_May_2016.pdf

Public Finance

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his speech of 15 June 2016 on the effect on taxation and spending of the UK leaving the EU, for what reason his oral contribution of 4 July 2016, Official Report, column 626 stated that the structural deficit would need to be addressed through either reduced spending or higher taxes.

Mr David Gauke: The structural deficit is the proportion of the deficit that is not driven by the economic cycle, and as such can only be addressed through either reduced spending or higher taxation. It is important to bear down on the structural deficit in order to make progress in reducing the level of national debt.

Budgets

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his oral contribution on 4 July 2016, Official Report, column 626, on what date he (a) decided not to introduce an emergency budget and (b) asked the OBR to assess the effect of the EU referendum result on the economy.

Harriett Baldwin: As the Chancellor has said, the referendum result will have an impact on the economy and public finances – and there will need to be action to address that. Given the delay in triggering Article 50 and the Prime Minister’s decision to hand over to a successor, it is sensible that decisions on what that action should consist of should wait until the Office of Budget Responsibility has made an economic forecast in the Autumn. The Chancellor will commission the OBR to provide an Autumn forecast in the usual way.

Budgets

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect on financial markets of (a) his announcement on 15 July 2016 of plans to introduce an emergency Budget in the event of the UK voting to leave the EU and (b) his oral contribution of 4 July 2016, Official Report, column 625 announcing that there would not be an emergency Budget.

Mr David Gauke: The Chancellor of the Exchequer set out his assessment of recent developments in financial markets during his oral contributions on the 4 July.

Prime Minister

UK Withdrawal from EU

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Prime Minister, what process will be used to trigger Article 50 of the Treaty on the European Union.

Mr David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Ilford South during my Oral Statement on the Outcome of the EU Referendum on 27 June 2016, Official Report, column 40.

Armed Conflict: Parliamentary Scrutiny

Sir David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister, if the Government will bring forward legislative proposals to give Parliament a veto on proposed future military action.

Mr David Cameron: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Filton and Bradley Stoke (Mr Lopresti) during my Oral Statement on the Report of the Iraq Inquiry on 6 July 2016, Official Report, column 904.

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Procurement

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) value of programmes commissioned by his Department's Dynamic Purchasing System in (i) St Helens North constituency, (ii) Merseyside and (iii) the North West since that system was introduced.

Justin Tomlinson: DWP’s use of the Dynamic Purchasing System in the North West has so far been restricted to Low Value Provision (LVP) of short vocational and occupational training to claimants who have a job offer or need training to be able to compete for vacancies in their local labour market.DWP only records nationally the number of LVPs commissioned.The recorded spend in 2014/15 in the North West was £577,737, of which £67,771 was spent in Merseyside and £2,375 by St Helens Jobcentre.The recorded spend in 2015/16 in the North West was £670,526, of which £148,163 was spent in Merseyside and £15,698 by St Helens Jobcentre.

Occupational Pensions

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's policy is on obtaining pension transfer reports when making transfers from defined benefit schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: Since April 2015, individuals with defined benefit (DB) pensions are legally required to take independent financial advice from an adviser authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority before transferring or taking their savings as a cash lump sum, if the total value of their benefits is above £30,000.This requirement reflects the fact that DB pensions offer a high level of security that should not be relinquished without fully understanding the risks of doing so.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in successful appeals against decisions on personal independence payment and employment and support allowance claims at tribunal stage.

Justin Tomlinson: The majority of decisions are overturned at appeal for two reasons: (i) the oral evidence given by claimants on the day of the hearing; (ii) new written evidence provided at the hearing. DWP, as part of its appeal reforms, introduced Mandatory Reconsideration – the pre-appeal dispute stage. This gives claimants the opportunity to have their decision reviewed and corrected much sooner than at appeal. Whilst this reform is working, DWP is reviewing its decision making processes both in relation to the initial decision and the Mandatory Reconsideration stage, to ensure that it does gather all relevant evidence ahead of any appeal hearing – and that this is reflected in the appeal response considered by the tribunal. The department is also introducing Presenting Officers to attend send to appeals for these benefits, thereby giving the Secretary of State the opportunity to consider the evidence being presented by the claimant at the hearing and feedback to the department.

Department for Work and Pensions: UK Withdrawal from EU

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential policy implications for his Department of the UK leaving the EU.

Justin Tomlinson: The Prime Minister has been clear that the negotiation for Britain's future relationship with Europe will need to begin under a new Prime Minister, and we have now got to look at all the detailed arrangements. In the meantime, Departments continue working to deliver the Government agenda.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis have taken early retirement after receiving that diagnosis.

Justin Tomlinson: No data or information is available concerning the number of people diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis that have taken early retirement after receiving that diagnosis.

Whooping Cough: Vaccination

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 31 May 2016 to Question 37766, if he will assess the potential merits of collating information about vaccinations given to people claiming or receiving payment under the vaccine damage payments scheme.

Justin Tomlinson: In order to effectively administer the scheme, details of all vaccinations that a claimant may have received is requested when a claim is submitted. Determining which vaccine may have caused the adverse reaction may not be possible as a number of vaccinations are often given in close proximity. There are no plans to change how the scheme is currently administered.

Children: Maintenance

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families accessed support from the Child Support Agency in (a) St Helens North constituency, (b) the North West and (c) the UK in (i) 2011 and (ii) 2012.

Justin Tomlinson: We do not have information on the number of families who accessed support. Information has been provided in the table on the caseload at the end of the year, which will differ from the number of families supported as cases may be linked to the same family.  Dec-11  Dec-12  St Helens Constituency 2,630 2,600 North West 155,400 149,400 UK 1,140,500 1,154,000   Notes:Figures rounded to the nearest 10 for St Helen’s constituency and nearest 100 for the North West and UK.Figures are the number of live and assessed cases.Figures are as at December 2011 and 2012.The methodology for estimating the overall caseload changed in December 2013 and information after this date will not be comparable.

Pensions: Advisory Services

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase the take-up of advice by people accessing pension freedoms.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government is working to improve access to affordable pension advice. As recommended by the Financial Advice Market Review (FAMR), we intend to consult on introducing a Pensions Advice Allowance over summer 2016. This would enable individuals to withdraw up to £500 tax-free from their defined contribution pension pot to redeem against the cost of financial advice, before the age of 55. The Government will also increase the current £150 tax and National Insurance Contributions relief for employer arranged pension advice to £500 from April 2017. It would therefore be possible for those who are able to use both to access up to £1000 of tax-advantaged advice. In addition the Government pension guidance service; Pension Wise, flags when there is a legal requirement for an individual to take advice, but also encourages people to seek advice when taking any important financial decisions.

Health and Safety Executive: Finance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to page 13 of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Business Plan 2016-17, what steps the HSE plans to take to meet the proposed nine per cent reduction to its funding by 2019-20.

Justin Tomlinson: This programme seeks to provide further cash savings through continued commercial contract management, process simplification, digitally enabling services and further rationalisation of our estate footprint.HSE is seeking to manage the funding reduction through a combination of growing HSE’s commercial income and delivering its efficiency programme.

Social Security Benefits

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse is of a claim for (a) personal independence payment and (b) employment and support allowance which is (i) refused at initial assessment, (ii) refused at mandatory reconsideration and (iii) successful at tribunal.

Justin Tomlinson: The information is not available at the level of detail requested.

Occupational Pensions

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of auto-enrolment to pension schemes for people who are casual or seasonal workers; and if he will make a statement.

Justin Tomlinson: Automatic enrolment has been a great success with nearly 6.3 million people automatically enrolled into a workplace pension by almost 143,000 employers. We remain on track to complete the roll out of automatic enrolment by 2018. All workers that fulfil the automatic enrolment eligibility criteria, including seasonal workers, must be enrolled into a workplace pension scheme. To help minimise burden on employers and help manage their business processes, they can choose to postpone automatic enrolment for up to three months for some or all of their staff. Furthermore, although employers must automatically enrol their eligible workers into a qualifying workplace pension scheme, there is no requirement for workers to save into a pension scheme, unless they wish to do so. Those who genuinely believe it's not in their best interest to save are free to opt out. The Department has legislative commitments to review some of the specifics of automatic enrolment in 2017. In addition to these areas, we intend to use the opportunity of the Review to cover a broader range of automatic enrolment policy issues and consider how best to build on the success of the programme, which may include the impact on different groups of workers.

Department for Work and Pensions: UK Withdrawal from EU

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of which policy areas within his Department's remit will be affected by the outcome of the EU referendum.

Justin Tomlinson: The Prime Minister has been clear that the negotiation for Britain’s future relationship with Europe will need to begin under a new Prime Minister, and we have now got to look at all the detailed arrangements. In the meantime, Departments continue to deliver the Government agenda.

Employment Schemes: Disability

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on supporting disabled people through (a) the work programme and (b) work choice in (i) each year since 2010 and (ii) total since the introduction of those schemes; and what the total cost of support over the lifetime of the two programmes is estimated to be.

Justin Tomlinson: The figures represent the annual expenditure on Work Choice provision from 2010-11 to 2015-16 and estimated spend from 2016/17 to the end of the programme, based on the existing contracts. It should be noted that with effect from 2015/16, Work Choice provision also includes costs for the Remploy contract. It is not possible to provide information for the amount spent on supporting disabled people through the work programme as this cannot be separately identified. 2010-11 £32m2011-12 £79m2012-13 £83m2013-14 £86m2014-15 £88m2015-16 £124m Total to 2015/16: £492m. The total over the life of the Work Choice programme is currently estimated to be £645m.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2016 to Question 41331, how many decisions taken on claims for (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payment have been taken to mandatory reconsideration in (i) Birkenhead and (ii) the UK in each of the past five years; and how many of those mandatory reconsiderations have been successful.

Justin Tomlinson: The data for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Mandatory Reconsiderations which have resulted in a decision being changed can be found at:Employment and Support Allowancehttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/530530/esa-wca-mr-summary-june-2016-tables-version2.odsPersonal Independence Paymenthttps://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/528662/pip-registrations-and-clearances-apr-2016.xlsThe breakdown of data you have requested for Birkenhead can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions: UK Withdrawal from EU

John  Nicolson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential policy implications for his Department of the UK leaving the EU.

Justin Tomlinson: The Prime Minister has been clear that the negotiation for Britain's future relationship with Europe will need to begin under a new Prime Minister, and we have now got to look at all the detailed arrangements. In the meantime, Departments continue working to deliver the Government agenda.

Employment: Disability

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to support people with disabilities and health conditions who are looking for work.

Justin Tomlinson: This government is committed to halving the disability employment gap. In the spending review we announced a real terms spending increase on supporting disabled people into work. In the last two years, 365,000 disabled people have entered employment. Our forthcoming Green Paper will set out our plans to support more disabled people into work.

Home Office

Immigration Officers: Training

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training her Department provides to immigration officers on handling asylum cases in which a claimant has been raped or sexually abused.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office is committed to treating all those who seek asylum with dignity and respect, including those whose fears may be based on sexual violence or gender related persecution.All general Immigration Officers receive training in Modern Slavery issues and those based at dedicated Asylum Intake Unit where claims may be first registered also receive training in sexual violence awareness. However, all asylum claims are dealt with by specially trained caseworkers rather than Immigration Officers.The current training and support available for asylum caseworkers includes a UNHCR endorsed Foundation Training Programme, which covers all aspects of the asylum interview and decision making process, including dealing sensitively with vulnerable claimants.Furthermore we have also worked closely with stakeholders, such as, the Refugee Council, to develop a dedicated referral process, so that women are formally referred to special counselling services where they disclose issues relating to sexual violence as part of their asylum claim.

Migration

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the outcome of the EU referendum on levels of (a) inward and (b) outward migration.

James Brokenshire: The UK currently remains part of the EU. As the Prime Minister has indicated, there will be no immediate changes for British citizens living in European countries or European citizens living in the UK and there will be no change to the way people travel.

Passports: Photographs

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken (a) to improve cyber security and (b) prevent hacking as part of proposals for members of the public to submit identification photographs for official documents to HM Passport Office using their own digital services.

James Brokenshire: Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HM Passport Office) digital passport service has been designed with both security and customer choice in mind and the department continues to put public protection at the heart of all new services offered. HM Passport Office is continuously evaluating new technologies and measures that will improve both security and customer service.Digital photographs, submitted as part of the new digital passport service, are required to meet the exacting standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.Photos are checked for compliance both through the system when uploaded and subsequently through the manual examination process.

Passports: Photographs

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether HM Passport Office has trialled and tested the professional photo trade association ICAO compliant Digital ID Photo Sending Service proposal to mitigate identification fraud, photo rejections, poor image quality and cyber security threats.

James Brokenshire: Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HM Passport Office) digital passport service has been designed with both security and customer choice in mind and the department continues to put public protection at the heart of all new services offered. HM Passport Office is continuously evaluating new technologies and measures that will improve both security and customer service. We are fully committed to our public protection agenda and this extends to all aspects of the application process, across all channels.Digital photographs, submitted as part of the new digital passport service, are required to meet the exacting standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Photos are checked for compliance both through the system when uploaded and subsequently through the manual examination process. Customers have the choice of taking and uploading their own photographs, or going to a professional digital photo service provider to supply them with a digital photograph for their application.HM Passport Office officials have, through the Open Information Exchange group, met members of the professional photographic trade, including the Photo Marketing Association (PMA). HM Passport Office have arranged for the PMA to demonstrate their Photo Sending Service to the HM Passport Office project team later this month. HM Passport Office will continue to engage with the photographic industry to share information about current plans for digital services.

Passports: Photographs

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to seek professional photographic trade association (a) accreditation, (b) sanction and (c) support for proposals to encourage digital identification photographs to be used in passport applications.

James Brokenshire: Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HM Passport Office) digital passport service has been de-signed with both security and customer choice in mind and the department continues to put public protection at the heart of all new services offered. HM Passport Office is contin-uously evaluating new technologies and measures that will improve both security and customer service. We are fully committed to our public protection agenda and this extends to all aspects of the application process, across all channels.Digital photographs, submitted as part of the new digital passport service, are required to meet the exacting standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Photos are checked for compliance both through the system when uploaded and subsequently through the manual examination process. Customers have the choice of taking and up-loading their own photographs, or going to a professional digital photo service provider to supply them with a digital photograph for their application.HM Passport Office officials have, through the Open Information Exchange group, met members of the professional photographic trade, including the Photo Marketing Associa-tion (PMA). HM Passport Office have arranged for the PMA to demonstrate their Photo Sending Service to the HM Passport Office project team later this month. HM Passport Office will continue to engage with the photographic industry to share information about current plans for digital services.

Passports

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was to HM Passport Office of handling and processing rejected passport applications in each of the last three years; and on what those costs were incurred.

James Brokenshire: Her Majesty’s Passport Office does not hold the information in the requested format and this information cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.

Passports: Photographs

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passports were reported as containing fake identification photos in the (a) last and (b) previous 12 months.

James Brokenshire: Data on false documents identified by the Home Office within the border and immigration system shows that from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015 555 travel documents were identified that involved some form of photo substitution, including hard photo substitution, digital image substitution or substituted biographical data page. 25 of these cases involved UK passports.In the period 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016, 643 travel documents were identified that involved some form of photo substitution, including hard photo substitution, digital image substitution or substituted biographical data page. 18 of these cases involved UK passports.

Home Office: Pay

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (a) how much has been paid to officials of her Department as an additional incentive for working overtime on top of their normal overtime payments, (b) how much has been offered to any individual staff member for a one-off occurrence, (c) how many staff received such incentivised additional payments, (d) from which budgets such payments were made and (e) at which Ministerial or official level the business cases or payment approval for such payments was made in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) 2016 to date.

Karen Bradley: We do not hold this information centrally and providing it would incur a disproportionate cost.

Refugees: Syria

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on funding of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: As the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme is not funded by the EU we do not anticipate any impact. The first 12 months of a refugee’s resettlement costs are fully funded by central government using the overseas aid budget. At the Spending Review, the Chancellor announced an estimated £460 million over the spending review period to cover the first 12 months’ costs under the scheme. The costs which can be covered from the aid budget include, for example, any education, housing, medical or social care the refugees might need immediately on arrival.At the Spending Review the Government committed £129 million to assist with local authority costs over years 2-5 of the scheme. This will be allocated on a tariff basis over four years, tapering from £5,000 per person in their second year in the UK, to £1,000 per person in year five.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Nigel Huddleston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to uphold the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties 1969 allowing existing EU citizens already living and working in the UK to retain their existing rights throughout and following negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

James Brokenshire: The Government has been clear that there will be no immediate changes in the circumstances of European nationals and their family members entering or currently residing in the UK.

Undocumented Migrants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of reports from members of the public on possible illegal immigration have (a) been investigated and (b) resulted in enforcement action in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: Holding answer received on 07 July 2016



All reports received from the public are individually assessed. Only some of these reports will lead to enforcement action as a significant number will contain insufficient or unusable information.Where there is no evidence of an offence or abuse no enforcement action will be taken.

Refugees: Cumbria

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of refugees that have been settled in Cumbria in the last 12 months; and whether she has further plans to settle refugees in Cumbria.

Richard Harrington: Progress on resettlement is reported in quarterly immigration statistics, including the local authorities participating in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme and how many refugees have been resettled in each area. This is a voluntary scheme whereby local authorities sign up to accept refugees on a voluntary basis. No refugees have been resettled to Cumbria under any of our other resettlement schemes.

EU Nationals: Immigration

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to provide EU citizens with information on applying for (a) the permanent right to remain and (b) citizenship; and whether the Government plans to introduce any simplifications or streamlining of the process.

James Brokenshire: The gov.uk website provides information for European nationals and their family members on applying for documents confirming their permanent residence.The application process in terms of obtaining British citizenship is the same for all foreign nationals and information on this is available from the gov.uk website.

Immigration

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for the permanent right to remain were received in the (a) six, (b) 12 and (c) 24 months prior to the EU referendum.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Home Office: Staff

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of her Department's employees identified as (a) BME and (b) non-BME in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.

Karen Bradley: Information on her Department's employees identified as (a) BME and (b) non-BME in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016 is provided in the table. (a) BME (%)(b) non-BME (%)Totali) 201523.49%76.51%100.00%ii) 201623.70%76.30%100.00%Data Source: Data View, the Home Office’s single source of Office for National Statistics compliant monthly snapshot corporate Human Resources data.Period Covered: Data is as at 31st March 2015 and 31st March 2016Extraction Date: 1st April 2015 and 2016Scope: All current, paid, permanent civil servants who provided a positive declaration regarding their Ethnicity

Dual Nationality

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK citizens hold (a) dual and (b) multiple nationality; and what the five most common nationalities so held are.

James Brokenshire: I refer to the previous response provided by Her Majesty’s Passport Office on 29 October 2015 to PQ 13210 regarding information on dual nationality.No statistical information is available showing whether British citizens hold another citizenship.

EU Nationals: Immigration

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Urgent Question of 4 July 2016, on EU Nationals: UK Residence, what assessment she has made of whether her Department's policy complies with the Government's family test.

James Brokenshire: The Government has been clear that there will be no immediate changes in the circumstances of European nationals and their family members entering or currently residing in the UK.

Immigrants: Detainees

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contractual obligations on the handling of potential victims and victims of human trafficking are placed on her Department's contractors operating Immigration Removal Centres.

James Brokenshire: There is a general duty of care on contractors to highlight to the Home Office any concerns they have about the welfare of detainees, but there are no specific contractual obligations for service providers operating immigration removal centres (IRCs) to report or manage individuals as potential victims or victims of trafficking.The decision to refer a person as a potential victim of trafficking or slavery into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), which identifies and supports potential victims, is made by a First Responder. Home Office staff working in IRCs can act as First Responders. Potential victims and Serco staff or any other contractor working in an IRC are not defined as First Responders but they may highlight a trafficking/slavery claim to Home Office staff who will then determine what action needs to be taken.

Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people in Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre (a) referred themselves to her Department as victims of human trafficking and (b) were referred to her Department by Serco as potential victims of human trafficking in each of the last five years.

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time was between referral of a potential victim of human trafficking to her Department and a reasonable grounds national referral mechanism decision for detainees at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre in the last 12 months.

James Brokenshire: Information on individuals who have been referred as potential victims of trafficking or slavery and have a reasonable grounds decision is not held centrally.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to review the level of funding it provides to NGOs and charities that support EU nationals in making applications for right to remain or other forms of residency visa as a result of the outcome of the EU referendum.

James Brokenshire: EU nationals do not need to apply for an entry visa, residence card or a permanent residence card in order to enjoy their free movement rights and responsibilities.As a result, the Home Office does not provide funding to NGOs in order to assist EU nationals to obtain such residency documentation.

Northern Ireland Office

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much of the £500 million designated to shared education and housing from the Fresh Start deal has been spent to date.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: The first tranche of integrated education funding of approximately £47 million was agreed between the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive in March this year. The funding will assist the development of three shared education campuses at Limavady, Moy and Ballycastle, and three integrated school projects at Braidside, Drumlins and Roe Valley.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent steps she has taken to address the outstanding legacy issues from the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: The legacy institutions proposed under the Stormont House Agreement represent the best opportunity for Northern Ireland to address the legacy of the Troubles. The Government is committed to working to build the consensus required to bring forward legislation and I have continued to engage with interested parties on these issues, including at the recent Fresh Start Implementation meeting.

UK Withdrawal from EU: Northern Ireland

Tom Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive and government of the Republic of Ireland on the effect of the UK leaving the EU on Northern Ireland.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: The Prime Minister and I have held a number of discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government, including the First and deputy First Minister and the Taoiseach, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan. The Prime Minister has said that the Government ‘must ensure that the interests of all parts of our United Kingdom are protected and advanced. So as we prepare for a new negotiation with the European Union, we will fully involve the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments’.

Northern Ireland Office: Pay

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, (a) how much has been paid to officials of her Department as an additional incentive for working overtime on top of their normal overtime payments, (b) how much has been offered to any individual staff member for a one-off occurrence, (c) how many staff received such incentivised additional payments, (d) from which budgets such payments were made and (e) at which Ministerial or official level the business cases or payment approval for such payments was made in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) 2016 to date.

Mrs Theresa Villiers: My Department has not made any payments to officials as an additional incentive for working overtime on top of their normal overtime payments during any of the periods you have specified.

Department of Health

Tobacco

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to implement the ban on menthol cigarettes in the UK after 2020; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of that ban on the quality of life of smokers.

Jane Ellison: Legislation is in place that will make it illegal to sell menthol flavoured cigarettes and roll your own tobacco from May 2020. This legislation fulfils international obligations the United Kingdom has under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which recommend that Parties should regulate, by prohibiting or restricting, ingredients that may be used to increase palatability in tobacco products. This provision is aimed at reducing the initiation rates of tobacco use by youth. Two thirds of adult smokers took up smoking before the age of 18 and menthol in particular is associated with increased youth experimentation, take-up and dependency. The Government has provided a four year transition period for current menthol smokers to quit smoking or switch to other brands of cigarettes or roll your own tobacco.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus: Babies

Sir David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2016 to Question 22462, if he will place in the Library a copy of NHS England's report on individual funding requests for palivizumab.

George Freeman: I refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Ealing, Southall (Mr Virendra Sharma) on 28 June 2016 to Question 40748.

Older People: Abuse

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what data is held by local authorities on suspected abuse of the elderly by social carers.

Alistair Burt: The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) collects national level data on older adult safeguarding and reports annually. The Safeguarding Adults Collection (formally the Safeguarding Adults Return) presents information about adults at risk for whom safeguarding referrals were opened during the reporting period, and case details for safeguarding referrals which concluded during the reporting period. A safeguarding referral is where a concern is raised with a council about a risk of abuse, which instigates an enquiry under the local safeguarding procedures. The data collection captures the source of harm including where this comes from social care support. Further details regarding the collection can be found on the HSCIC website at: http://www.hscic.gov.uk/socialcarecollections2016 Local authorities will collect a range of safeguarding intelligence which the Department has not been prescriptive in setting out. However, the Government has made it clear in statutory guidance to support implementation of the Care Act (2014) that Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs) must establish ways of analysing and interrogating data on safeguarding notifications that increase the SABs understanding of prevalence of abuse and neglect locally and that builds up a picture over time. Local authorities, the NHS and the Police are all core statutory partners on SABs.

Prescription Drugs

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the market cost was of drugs provided through prescriptions in each of the last three years.

Alistair Burt: The total cost to the National Health Service of drugs dispensed in England for the latest three years for which figures are available is shown in the table. YearPrimary care drugs spend 1Secondary care drugs spendTotal drugs spend Outturn (£ million)Outturn (£ million)Outturn (£ million)2012/13 27,8875,05512,9412013/14 38,0155,32413,3392014/158,2065,89714,103 Sources:1 Primary care figures to 2012/13 are from primary care trusts (PCTs) audited summarisation schedules. Figures from 2013/14 are from the Department’s annual report and accounts.2 Secondary care figures are from NHS trusts, PCT finance returns and foundation trust year-end accounts. Finance returns were not collected after 2011/12; figures for NHS trusts in 2012/13 are estimates.3 Secondary care figures from 2013/14 are from Monitor and NHS Trust Development Authority.

Older People: Abuse

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to tackle suspected abuse of the elderly by social carers.

Alistair Burt: The Government is committed to preventing and reducing the risk of harm to older adults in vulnerable situations regardless of the source of harm. The Care Act (2014) placed adult safeguarding on a statutory footing for the first time and provided local authorities with the lead on responding to, and preventing, abuse and neglect. Supported by a new duty of cooperation by other relevant agencies, set out in the Act, it has been made clear that safeguarding is everyone’s business. The statutory guidance to the Act sets out an expectation that local authorities ensure that the services they commission are safe, effective and of high quality. It also makes clear that those providing the service, local authorities and the Care Quality Commission take swift action where anyone alleges poor care, neglect or abuse. Behaviour which amounts to abuse and neglect often constitutes specific criminal offences. Although the local authority has the lead role in making enquiries, where criminal activity is suspected, then the early involvement of the police is likely to be appropriate in many cases, and that is what we would want to see.

Suicide

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on trends in the prominence of relationship break-up as a contributory cause of suicide over the last five years.

Alistair Burt: The information is not collected centrally.

Chronic Illnesses: Prescription Drugs

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the effect on NHS resources was in each of the last three years of charging people with long-term health conditions for prescription drugs.

Alistair Burt: The requested information is not held. However, an estimate of the cost to the public purse in lost revenue from introducing an exemption from prescription charges for all people with long-term medical conditions was made as part of the review of prescription charges by Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, which was commissioned by a previous Government and published in 2010. Professor Gilmore’s estimate for extending the prescription charge exemption to everyone with a long-term condition was at a cost of £360 to £430 million a year. This is likely to be an underestimate, given the increases in the prescription charge and increasing numbers of prescriptions dispensed since the Review was published. Overall, prescription charge revenue for 2014/15, which is the last year for which we have a complete audited figure, was £503.9 million derived from dispensing in the community. This is vital revenue for the National Health Service. A number of prescription charge exemptions are in place, for which someone with a long-term condition may qualify. These include exemptions based on low income, such as certain out of work benefits and the NHS Low Income Scheme, and age. Where someone does not qualify for exemption, Prescription Prepayment Certificates are available. The three-month and 12-month certificates allow someone to claim as many prescriptions as they need for £29.10 and £104, respectively.

Nurses: Training

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of the change in student funding for nurses on the number of people applying to study nursing; and what the potential effect on the NHS will be.

Ben Gummer: A preliminary Economic Impact Assessment and Equality Analysis was published alongside the public consultation launched on 7 April 2016. The Government assessment shows that nursing is consistently one of the most popular courses on University Central Administration Service with 57,000 applicants for around 20,000 nursing places in 2014. Midwifery and Allied Health Professional courses receive higher than average applications as well.

West Cumberland Hospital

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2016 to Question 41367, if he will visit West Cumberland Hospital in his official capacity as Secretary of State for Health before 1 November 2016.

Ben Gummer: I am currently planning to visit the West Cumberland Hospital on Thursday the 14th of July.

Ambulance Services: Emergency Calls

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to (a) modify and (b) remove the 75 per cent target for Red 1 ambulance calls.

Ben Gummer: In spring 2015, National Medical Director of NHS England Sir Bruce Keogh carried out a review of key National Health Service waiting time measures to ensure they make sense for patients and are operationally well-designed. Following this review and pilots being carried out as part of NHS England’s Ambulance Response Programme, the results will be considered in due course.

Electronic Cigarettes: Public Places

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his policy is on prohibiting the use of electronic cigarettes in enclosed public spaces.

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential long-term health effects of trends in the use of electronic cigarettes amongst adult smokers.

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of Public Health England's recent findings that electronic cigarettes are 95 per cent less harmful than conventional cigarettes.

Jane Ellison: The Public Health England (PHE) report is consistent with the Government’s current policy that the best thing a smoker can do for their health is to quit smoking and quit for good. Evidence in the United Kingdom indicates that e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking, with similar or better results than nicotine replacement therapies such as patches or gum. E-cigarettes are, however, not harmless and there is a lack of evidence on their effects in long term use. The Department has and will continue to monitor all emerging evidence and consider it in developing policy. PHE has been commissioned to update their evidence report on e-cigarettes annually until the end of this Parliament and to include within its quit smoking campaigns consistent messaging about the safety of e-cigarettes. There are no current plans to ban the use of e-cigarettes in public places in England.

East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to increase clinical resources for the East of England Ambulance Trust.

Ben Gummer: It is the responsibility of individual ambulance trusts and their commissioners to decide how clinical resources are used to meet local demand. NHS Improvement advises that East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust is currently working with management consultants Operational Research in Health to remodel its future workforce requirements based on a new operating model and its demand profile. The Trust will discuss any additional funding this will require with its commissioners.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many neurology consultants employed by the NHS specialise in the treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Ben Gummer: The number of neurology consultants employed by the National Health Service who specialise in the treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis is not collected centrally.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the diagnostic process for myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Jane Ellison: As the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) resemble those of other forms of debilitating illness, and there is no test with which to make an accurate diagnosis, it is not always easy to diagnose single cases of the condition. Diagnosis relies on clinical observation of symptoms by healthcare professionals. In 2007, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) produced the clinical guidance, Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy): Diagnosis and management of CFS/ME in adults and children. This guidance set out best practice on the diagnosis, treatment care and support of children and adults with CFS/ME. The NICE last reviewed the guidance with its stakeholders, including CFS/ME charities, in 2013. The review found no update was required. The full guideline may be viewed on the NICE website at the following link: www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg53

Prescription Drugs: Delivery Services

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the contribution of free delivery services for medicines from community pharmacies to the number of prescriptions which are successfully received.

Alistair Burt: We have made no assessment. Information on the range of services individual community pharmacies choose to provide free to their customers beyond those commissioned by the National Health Service is not collected.

NHS Trusts: Finance

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he made of trends in future deficit levels in NHS trusts in England; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: In the Mandate to NHS England for 2016-17, the Department has set out that we expect NHS England, working with NHS Improvement, to ensure that the National Health Service lives within its means and achieves the year on year improvements in efficiency and productivity needed to place the NHS on a secure and sustainable financial footing throughout the Parliament. We have put in place a £1.8 billion Sustainability and Transformation Fund in order to help achieve this.

NHS: Finance

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the year-on-year changes to NHS funding between 2010 and 2020; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: National Health Service expenditure from 2010-11 to 2014-15 and NHS funding from 2015-16 to 2020-21 is shown in table below.YearOutturn/PlanDepartment of Health Expenditure £ billion (1)(2)(3)% cash increase2010-11Outturn100.4182.02011-12Outturn102.8442.42012-13Outturn105.2212.32013-14Outturn109.7744.32014-15Outturn113.3453.32015-16Estimate116.8263.12016-17Plan120.6113.22017-18Plan123.6882.62018-19Plan126.3432.12019-20Plan129.1432.22020-21Plan133.0513.0 Notes:Departmental expenditure includes funding for the NHS allocated through NHS England from 2013-14.Expenditure excludes NHS Annually Managed Expenditure.Total expenditure is the sum of revenue + capital expenditure net of non-trust depreciation.

Pharmacy

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which areas will be eligible for the proposed Pharmacy Access Scheme.

Alistair Burt: We intend to announce details of the Pharmacy Access Scheme, including which pharmacies will be eligible in due course, as part of a wider announcement on community pharmacy in 2016/17 and beyond.

Pharmacy

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to improve local pharmacy dispensing arrangements; and if he will regularly review service levels.

Alistair Burt: It is vital that National Health Service patients receive their prescribed medicines promptly, efficiently, conveniently and to high quality. NHS England is responsible for ensuring that there are adequate arrangements in place for the dispensing of medicines so that this happens across England.

Rickets: Liverpool

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency and (b) the Liverpool City Region have been diagnosed with rickets in each year since 2010.

Jane Ellison: Information is not available in the format requested. The data that is available is shown in the following table. Table 1 - Counts of finished admission episodes (FAEs)¹ with a primary diagnosis² of rickets³ in the Liverpool and Wavertree parliamentary constituency4, selected clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) of residence5, and selected primary care trusts (PCTs) of residence6 for 2010-11 to 2014-157. Activity in English NHS Hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector YearRegion2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-15Liverpool, Wavertree Parliamentary Constituency***--Liverpool CCG*7*--Halton CCG-----Knowsley CCG-----South Sefton CCG-----Southport & Formby CCG-----St Helens CCG-----Wirral CCG--*--Liverpool PCT*7*--Halton and St Helen's PCT-----Knowsley PCT-----Sefton PCT-----Wirral PCT--*-- Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre Notes: A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. FAEs are counted against the year or month in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the period.The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and 7 prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital.The ICD-10 code for Rickets is: E55.0 Rickets, active.The Westminster Parliamentary Constituency code for each postcode.The clinical commissioning group (CCG) containing the patient’s normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another area for treatment.The strategic health authority (SHA) or primary care trust (PCT) containing the patient’s normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment.A change in methodology in 2011-12 resulted in an increase in the number of records where the PCT or strategic health authority (SHA) of residence was unknown. From 2006-07 to 2010-11 the current PCT and SHA of residence fields were populated from the recorded patient postcode. In order to improve data completeness, if the postcode was unknown the PCT, SHA and country of residence were populated from the PCT/SHA value supplied by the provider. From April 2011-12 onwards if the patient postcode is unknown the PCT, SHA and country of residence are listed as unknown.HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. Conversely, apparent increases in activity may be due to improved recording of diagnosis or procedure information.Note that Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) include activity ending in the year in question and run from April to March, e.g. 2012-13 includes activity ending between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013.

Learning Disability

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people with learning disabilities are on the waiting list for a Care and Treatment Review.

Alistair Burt: Data on waiting lists for Care and Treatment Reviews (CTRs) is not collected centrally. The number of CTRs completed was added to the Health and Social Care Information Centre‘s Assuring Transformation Collection and data has been collected since January 2016. Between January 2016 and May 2016, 625 CTRs have been completed.

Keswick Hospital

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to help (a) retain and (b) increase the number of beds at Keswick Hospital.

Ben Gummer: Decisions on services at Keswick Hospital are matters for the local National Health Service.

Obesity: Children

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he will publish the childhood obesity strategy.

Jane Ellison: Our Childhood Obesity Strategy will be launched in the summer.

Mental Health Services: Southampton

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to support patients and families affected by the closure of the Antelope Centre in Southampton; and if he will make a statement.

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to recruit specialist staff to facilitate the re-opening of the Antelope Centre in Southampton; by what date he plans for those staff to be recruited; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: These are matters for the National Health Service. NHS Improvement advises that the majority of patients requiring Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) care during the period of closure of the PICU at Antelope House will receive this at the Huntercombe unit in Roehampton, London. The Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, which provides services at Antelope House, is working with partners to provide PICU bed capacity on another site for an interim period of eight months by redistributing staff from the PICU to the hospital’s other two wards. NHS Improvement further advises that the recruitment focus will be on addressing the root causes of staffing issues. The Antelope House team has begun talking to patients, carers and family members to make sure they are fully aware of decisions that affect them.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in how many clinical commissioning group areas specialist services are provided for people diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Jane Ellison: The vast majority of services for people with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) are the responsibility of local clinical commissioning groups. The Department does not hold information about the configuration of local services. However, we understand that there a number of clinics that specialise in the treatment of CFS/ME around the country. The ME Association has published a list of these services, available at: www.meassociation.org.uk/nhs-specialist-services-throughout-the-uk

Health Education

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the (a) extent of the implementation of the Making Every Contact Count initiative by clinical commissioning groups and local authorities and (b) adequacy of training provided to staff to equip them to provide consistent self-care messages during consultations; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: Public Health England, Health Education England (HEE) and NHS England are collaborating with local authorities and National Health Service partners to support local uptake of the Making Every Contact Count (MECC) approach building on the many examples of implementation such as from Warwickshire, Medway and Wigan. Activities to support the commissioning, development and delivery of effective local training have been undertaken. To support MECC uptake by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and local authorities a provider requirement now exists within the NHS Standard Contract; and NHS England’s person-centred care Commissioning for Quality and Innovation for CCGs includes workforce skills that support the local MECC offer. The national MECC advisory group is linking with HEE’s national workforce programme and NHS England’s New Models of Care and Self-Care teams to support and equip the workforce with person centred skills to support and enable self-care and behaviour change. HEE has regional events to support MECC implementation activity across the Sustainable Transformation Plan footprints.

Antidepressants: Liverpool

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many prescriptions for anti-depressants were dispensed in the Liverpool City Region in each year since 2010.

Alistair Burt: Information is not available in the format requested. The data that is available is shown in the following table. Number of prescription items for British National Formulary (BNF) Section 4.3 Anti-depressants  2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-16England..47,405,84350,334,23854,007,50857,770,14961,559,729of which:Halton CCG......154,316163,386170,377Knowsley CCG......225,299237,574253,708Liverpool CCG......629,073669,238717,613South Sefton CCG......190,357202,616214,420Southport and Formby CCG......138,134148,876158,899St Helens CCG......272,364288,401310,465Wirral CCG......418,441453,584487,649Halton & St Helens PCT349,954379,122402,388......Knowsley PCT179,400194,426207,373......Liverpool PCT499,977544,495582,834......Sefton PCT275,475293,572309,947......Wirral PCT337,917364,241392,049...... Source: The Prescribing Analysis and CosT tool (PACT) system provided by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) Notes: There is no central collection for the number of prescriptions. The data available is at prescription item level. Prescriptions are written on a prescription form, each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item. Data is available at sub national primary care trust (PCT) and clinical commissioning group (CCG) level from 2010-11. National level data is only available for the latest 60 months, therefore figures from a previous Parliamentary Question have been used for 2011-12. The data extracted for antidepressants is based on BNF section 4.3 antidepressant drugs using the classification system prior to edition 70. The data was obtained from the PACT system, maintained by NHS Prescription Services, a division of NHSBSA, which covers prescriptions prescribed by general practitioners, nurses, pharmacists and others in England and dispensed in the community in the United Kingdom. For data at PCT or CCG level, prescriptions written by a prescriber located in a particular PCT or CCG but dispensed outside that PCT or CCG will be included in the PCT or CCG in which the prescriber is based. The data available in PACT is a rolling 60 month dataset. Prescriptions written in England but dispensed outside England are included. Prescriptions written in hospitals/clinics that are dispensed in the community, prescriptions dispensed in hospitals, dental prescribing and private prescriptions are not included in PACT data. It is important to note this as some BNF sections have a high proportion of prescriptions written in hospitals that are dispensed in the community. For example, BNF chapter 4, "Central Nervous System" has a fair proportion of items written in mental health clinics that are dispensed in the community - these prescriptions are not included in PACT data. National level data is extracted directly from ePACT which holds the latest 60 months of data only. PCT/CCG level data is extracted from ePACT and made available in iView. Prescriptions are written on a prescription form known as a FP10. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item. The PACT system uses the therapeutic classifications defined in the BNF using the classification system prior to edition 70. Information on why a drug is prescribed is not available in this dataset. Since drugs can be prescribed to treat more than one condition, it may not be possible to separate the different conditions for which a drug may have been prescribed. The primary purpose of the BNF is to provide information for clinicians. The format of the BNF was changed with Edition 70 (September 2015 - March 2016) to make it more user friendly. However the NHSBSA, who process dispensed prescription forms and collects dispensed prescribing data and produce the PACT data, continue to use the old BNF classification system to code medicines, which has become widely used in the UK as a classification to allow comparisons between drug groups. For example it is used to report cost and trend in medicines use and supports several Health and Social Care Information Centre official publications. The data are used in many NHS IT systems. A CCG/PCT will only appear in the PACT system if a prescription has been made within the time period that the data spans. Hence, the total number of CCGs/PCTs will vary for different BNF chapters/sections. Blank fields are indicative of CCGs/PCTs which have ceased to exist (or come into existence) either because they have merged with one or more other CCGs/PCTs or have been officially renamed during the time period for which data has been requested. 10. The sum of the data for all CCGs/PCTs does not equal the total England figure, because the total England figure includes unidentified Doctors (not possible for NHSBSA Prescription Services to allocate to a CCG/PCT). 11. iView can be accessed using the following link: http://www.hscic.gov.uk/iview/prescribing

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of NHS efficiency savings on waiting times in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: The Government has fully funded the National Health Service’s Five Year Forward View, so that the NHS will receive £10 billion more in real terms by 2020-21 than in 2014-15. This additional funding, alongside measures to improve efficiency and reduce waste will enable delivery of the Government’s mandate to NHS England. The Government’s mandate to NHS England for 2016-17 sets out objectives to 2020. These include the objective that it should support the NHS to maintain, and where possible improve, performance against core standards in line with the NHS Constitution, and the objective to balance the NHS budget and improve efficiency and productivity. At the same time, the Government is addressing the longer term issues that lead to increased demand by more strongly coordinating health and social care, increasing access to the services seven days a week, reducing unwarranted variations in performance between providers, and supporting the public and patients to take the right steps to look after their own health.

Blood: Contamination

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason his Department's consultation on infected blood, published in January 2016, did not include proposals on provisions for widows or dependants of people whose blood has been infected; and if he will make it his policy to grant non means tested discretionary payments to widows and dependants of people who have died due to contaminated blood transfusions.

Jane Ellison: Currently, all bereaved family members can apply to one or more of the three scheme charities for discretionary support. However, only some bereaved partners/spouses receive regular financial support. The consultation on reforming the current payment schemes sought views on whether those bereaved partners/spouses who receive regular support would prefer a lump sum payment or continued access to a discretionary scheme. The consultation did not make any new proposals for dependants who do not receive regular financial support from the charities. Consultation responses have been analysed and the Government’s response to this consultation will be published soon.

Mental Health Services: Autism

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people with a diagnosis of autism have been held on mental health wards in each of the last three years.

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people with learning disabilities have been held on mental health wards in each of the last three years.

Alistair Burt: The table below shows the total number of people with a learning disability and/or autism in mental health wards as reported by the Learning Disability Census. The number of patients in mental health wards for the each of the last three years by diagnosisEngland¹Number of patients 201320142015All patients635750660Learning disability or autismLearning disability only375405330Autism only140225240Learning disability and autism12012085 Data source: Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) Learning Disability Census 2013, 2014, 2015 ¹The Assuring Transformation collection covers England, but includes patients whose care is commissioned in England and provided elsewhere in the United Kingdom. These figures represent the number of patients who were receiving inpatient care at the end of the each month since HSCIC began collecting Assuring Transformation data.

Mental Health: Females

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to reduce anxiety disorder in women under 35.

Alistair Burt: Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services treat common mental health conditions, including anxiety. More than 3.5 million adults have entered the IAPT programme since its inception in 2008. Of that 3.5 million, over 2.1 million have completed treatment and over 725,000 are in recovery and more than 100,000 people have moved off sick pay and benefits. We have introduced waiting times standards to ensure better access to IAPT so that 75% of people referred to IAPT receive treatment within six weeks and 95% receive treatment within 18 weeks. In January 2016, the Government announced almost £1 billion of additional investment for mental health, which included £290 million of new investment over the next five years to provide mental healthcare for perinatal care.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Universities: Research

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of leaving the EU on university research.

Joseph Johnson: There will be no immediate changes to our relationship with the EU. EU law continues to apply to and within the UK, covering both rights and obligations, including those that apply to students, researchers, and businesses.The UK economy is fundamentally strong and our research and innovation are world leading. The Government is committed to maintaining and enhancing the strength of our research base, which is why at the Spending Review we committed to protect the science budget in real terms, and protect the funding that flows through Innovate UK in cash terms.

Iron and Steel: Hartlepool

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking in response to the result of the EU referendum to ensure that investment in the Hartlepool steel pipe mills is made.

Anna Soubry: Holding answer received on 06 July 2016



  The Government’s top priority for steel has not changed in the light of the EU referendum. The process for selling Tata Steel’s remaining UK assets remains ongoing and we continue to work closely with Tata and potential bidders so that we can secure a sustainable future. My officials have also met with parties interested in acquiring Tata’s steel pipe mills in Hartlepool, to explain what the Government is doing to support the UK steel sector. More widely, we are committed to working closely with the UK steel sector through the Steel Council.

New Businesses: Females

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many women started businesses in (a) Liverpool, Wavertree constituency, (b) the Liverpool City Region and (c) England in each year since 2010.

Anna Soubry: Holding answer received on 07 July 2016



The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold this data.

Trade Agreements: China

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions the Government has had with the government of China on a potential free trade agreement between the UK and China.

Anna Soubry: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Trade Agreements: India

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions the Government has had with the government of India on a potential free trade agreement between the UK and India.

Anna Soubry: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Trade Agreements: USA

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions the Government has had with the US administration on a potential free trade agreement between the UK and the US.

Anna Soubry: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership

Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Answer of 24 May 2016 to Question 37703, when he plans to establish the reading room for hon. Members to access Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership documents.

Anna Soubry: I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on 5 July to Question UIN 41488.

Steel Council

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, on what dates the Steel Council or its sub-working groups have met in the last month.

Anna Soubry: The Steel Council met on the 8th June to consider initial recommendations from the Council’s four working groups. The industry chaired working groups cover trade, energy, procurement, and future capability and capacity. The secretariat for the Steel Council, comprising of Gareth Stace from UK Steel and senior representatives from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, meet on a regular basis to drive this work forward. In the last month, the procurement working group has met twice on the 9th and 24th June, the trade working group met on the 22nd June, and the future capability and capacity working group met on the 7th July.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: UK Withdrawal from EU

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2016 to Question 41302, whether he has made an estimate of the total cost to his Department of hiring additional lawyers, and financial and trade experts as a result of the outcome of the EU referendum; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Higher Education

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when he plans to publish information on high quality higher education providers obtaining foundation or taught degree awarding powers on a probationary three year time-limited basis.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Trade Agreements

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many bilateral trade agreements the UK has with countries outside the EU.

Anna Soubry: Since the EU has sole competence on trade policy, the UK has no bilateral trade agreements in force with countries outside the EU.

Digital Technology

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate he has made of the cost to the economy of the (a) UK and (b) North East of the UK leaving the EU and British digital industries therefore being unable to access the Digital Single Market.

Mr Edward Vaizey: I refer the hon Member to the answer to her own Parliamentary Question UIN 41682.

Civil Servants: Recruitment

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2016 to Question 40488, on civil service recruitment, who has been appointed the board level diversity champion in his Department.

Joseph Johnson: Gareth Davies, Director General for Business and Science, is the Department’s board-level diversity champion.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Reorganisation

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2016 to Question 39339, on his Department's reorganisation, whether the projected £7.5 million saving includes the transitional costs arising from centralising policy functions in London.

Joseph Johnson: The saving projection of at least £7.5m per year by 2019-20 refers to the reduction in on-going operating costs. This on-going operating cost reduction does not include one-off, transitional costs incurred before 2019-20 which are estimated at between £9-£13m in total.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Reorganisation

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2016 to Question 39361, on his Department's reorganisation, how many of the 1,500 policy posts reduced will be (a) in and (b) outside London.

Joseph Johnson: The answer to question 39361 stated that policy posts would be reduced to around 1,500, not by around 1,500.The Executive Board announced on 26 May that from January 2018 all policy roles will be based in our single HQ and policy centre in London.

West of England University

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will instruct Student Finance England to respond to student number 03530036915 at the University of the West of England on the submission of that student's 2015-16 declaration form.

Joseph Johnson: Student Finance England has confirmed that it has recently been in contact with the relevant student, and that their 2015-16 declaration form has been processed.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Vacancies

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2016 to Question 39715, on his Department's vacancies, what plans he has to use secondments from private sector organisations outside London as part of his Department's resourcing strategy.

Joseph Johnson: As in the past, the Department makes use of secondments to supplement skills, provide external insights and interchange with the private sector, as part of its resourcing strategy.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills: Reorganisation

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2016 to Question 39360, on his Department's reorganisation, whether graduates taking part in the cross-government graduate scheme can take up policy roles in his Department based outside of London.

Joseph Johnson: The Executive Board announced on 26 May that from January 2018 all policy roles will be based in our single HQ and policy centre in London.

Nurses: Training

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make it his policy that student maintenance loan payments are paid on a monthly basis to nursing students.

Joseph Johnson: Full-time students starting nursing courses from 1 August 2017 will qualify for the same loans for living costs as other new full-time undergraduate students in 2017/18. Loans for living costs are paid to students in three equal instalments at the start of each term to help meet up-front costs while studying.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: UK Withdrawal from EU

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of which policy areas within his Department's remit will be affected by the outcome of the EU referendum.

Mr Julian Brazier: The Prime Minister has been clear that the negotiation for Britain's future relationship with Europe will need to begin under a new Prime Minister, and we have now got to look at all the detailed arrangements. In the meantime, Departments continue working to deliver the Government agenda.

Special Forces: Finance

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will assess the potential merits of appointing a committee of parliamentarians to oversee the operations and budget of special forces, similar to the functions of the Intelligence and Security Committee in respect of the intelligence services.

Michael Fallon: No.

Type 26 Frigates

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is still planning to purchase 13 Type 26 Ships.

Mr Philip Dunne: The 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) endorsed the requirement for eight of the anti-submarine warfare variant of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship to replace the eight Type 23 frigates that currently fulfil this role. The SDSR also concluded that the remainder of the Navy's future frigate requirement would be better met by a new class of lighter, flexible, general purpose frigates.

Ministry of Defence: UK Withdrawal from EU

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what official contingency plans his Department had in place prior to the referendum result planning for the eventuality of a vote to leave the EU.

Mr Julian Brazier: None.

Defence: Procurement

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of how the decision to leave the EU will affect the procurement of defence equipment and the cost of procuring defence equipment from abroad.

Mr Julian Brazier: The EU Referendum result does not affect the United Kingdom's status as a major international power. As stated in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, we remain firmly committed to strengthening our Defence relationships with our Allies, partners, and Defence industry. An important element of this is delivered through Defence procurement, but it is too early to assess the effect of the decision to leave the EU as we have not yet agreed the terms of our negotiated departure.

Armed Forces: GCSE

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many enlisted soldiers aged (a) under and (b) over 18 gained A*-C GCSE qualifications in (i) English and (ii) mathematics in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Mark Lancaster: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 April 2016 to Question 33691 to the hon. Member for East Ham (Stephen Timms).The Army provides funded opportunities for personnel to gain Functional Skills in literacy and numeracy. Individuals may choose to pursue GCSE qualifications with the support of learning credits, but as this is a voluntary undertaking we do not track or record this information.



Armed Forces:GCSE
(Word Document, 15.23 KB)

RAF Akrotiri

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his long-term plans are for the operation and use of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

Penny Mordaunt: RAF Akrotiri has performed a vital strategic function in support of operations over many years and continues to fulfil that function today including in support of operations in Iraq and Syria. We expect RAF Akrotiri to remain an essential element of the UK's overseas presence for years to come.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Supported Housing: Public Consultation

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to announce the result of the Government's consultation on supported housing; and whether he expects supported housing to be included in the Local Housing Allowance cap.

Brandon Lewis: The Government is committed to protecting the most vulnerable. That is why we are continuing to work with the sector and other partners to develop a sustainable and workable future for supported housing and will announce next steps in due course.In the meantime we have put in place a one year exemption for supported housing from the Local Housing Allowance cap.

Housing Benefit: Supported Housing

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will respond to the National Housing Federation's recommendation of 29 June 2016 that supported housing providers should register with an independent regulator in order to receive access to extra housing benefit.

Brandon Lewis: The Government is committed to working with the sector and other partners to develop a sustainable and workable future for supported housing.We welcome the work and engagement undertaken by the National Housing Federation on supported housing and their contribution is noted and will be considered.

Communities and Local Government: Pay

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, (a) how much has been paid to officials of his Department as an additional incentive for working overtime on top of their normal overtime payments, (b) how much has been offered to any individual staff member for a one-off occurrence, (c) how many staff received such incentivised additional payments, (d) from which budgets such payments were made and (e) at which Ministerial or official level the business cases or payment approval for such payments was made in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) 2016 to date.

Mr Mark Francois: Officials in my Department do not receive additional incentives for working overtime on top of normal overtime payments.

Private Rented Housing

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people were living in the private rented sector by (a) age group and (b) local authority area in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: The Department collects information on the age of private renters via the English Housing Survey (EHS). The size of the EHS sample does not permit us to produce local authority estimates. England figures going back to 2003 can be found in AT1.4 here:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/501068/2014-15_Section_1_Households_tables_and_figures_FINAL.xlsx

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Communication

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the cost was of his Department's communications team in each year since 2007; and what the projected costs are for 2016.

David Mundell: The communications team in the Scotland Office has been resourced during this period to enable effective engagement and communication with the public on the constitutional arrangements for Scotland. This includes the Scotland Act 2012, the UK Government’s position on the Scottish independence referendum and the Scotland Act 2016.The cost of the communications team at the Scotland Office since 2007 are shown below.Financial YearTotal salary bill2007-08£113,2362008-09£115,3562009-10£144,0842010-11£108,4392011-12£169,3732012-13£180,9542013-14£241,6362014-15£348,8952015-16£426,223

Women and Equalities

Equal Pay: Liverpool

Luciana Berger: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what information her Department holds on gender pay gaps by sector in the Liverpool City Region.

Caroline Dinenage: Gender pay gaps are calculated by comparing the median male hourly wages (excluding overtime) with the median female hourly wages, as a proportion of the male wage.The department does not hold this data by city regions or by sector for city regions.The following link to Table 5 of the Office of National Statistics’ Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) for 2015 provides the average hourly wages for males and females on a regional industry basis: http://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/regionbyindustry2digitsicashetable5

Department for Transport

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Danny Kinahan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to endorse automated cone laying and retrieval for road maintenance worker safety.

Andrew Jones: While the safety of road maintenance workers is of paramount importance, neither the Secretary of State nor I endorse particular products. Highways England and the Department for Transport fully support innovative techniques and I would refer the Honourable Gentleman to my previous response of 4 November 2015 (UIN 13581).

Motorcycles: Driving Instruction

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that there are sufficient motorcycle instructors to meet demand.

Andrew Jones: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has taken a number of steps to ensure there are sufficient motorcycle examiners to meet demand. From January 2015 to July 2016, DVSA advertised and recruited 16 new motorcycle examiners. It also trained 27 individuals from their existing workforce to conduct motorcycle tests. DVSA has a further six new fast track candidates and 33 existing staff allocated to planned training courses by the end of this financial year. Additionally, in April this year DVSA advertised for a further 22 fast track motorcycle examiners. DVSA profile future demand predictions, using a number of models to anticipate fluctuations which could impact on its resource levels. Providing a quality, value for money service to its customers is a priority.

Freight

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the recommendations and conclusions of the report of the Institute for Mechanical Engineers, UK freight: in for the long haul, published in June 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones: The Government has plans to benefit freight and ease congestion on road and rail networks. The Government has developed policies relevant to freight through the freight carbon review, a transport infrastructure skills strategy and a maritime growth study. We also work closely with stakeholders on policy development, for example work related to rail freight is in progress. The Government is committed to tackling pollution and reducing emissions in transport, and our Air Quality Action Plan outlines how we will make our air cleaner. We have seen major improvements in air quality over the past two decades and more than £2 billion has been invested in greener transport and other clean air measures since 2011. The road freight industry is a commercial and, in many cases, low margin industry, under a strong incentive to keep empty running to a minimum.

Shipping: Exhaust Emissions

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2016 to Question 41125, on shipping exhaust emissions, what ongoing assistance his Department is providing to support current and future research into such technologies.

Mr Robert Goodwill: While the Department does not provide any direct financial support for research and development of emissions reduction technologies for ships, it is working to minimise the legal and technical barriers which could restrict the growth in green technologies. As a rule, the Department’s policy is to promote successful outcomes rather than to support one particular technology or product at the expense of others.

Department for Transport: Cost Effectiveness

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what savings his Department's focussed shared service centre has made in each year since its creation.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Since June 2013 when the DfT shared service centre was outsourced to arvato the year-on-year savings have beenYear2013-142014/152015-16 Total to 2016Total Savings (£m)9.649.817.0326.48

Department for Transport: UK Withdrawal from EU

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of which policy areas within his Department's remit will be affected by the outcome of the EU referendum.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Prime Minister has been clear that the negotiation for Britain's future relationship with Europe will need to begin under a new Prime Minister, and we have now got to look at all the detailed arrangements. In the meantime, Departments continue working to deliver the Government agenda.

Southern: Timetables

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date the emergency timetable for Southern rail services to be introduced by Govia Thameslink Railway from 11 July 2016 was agreed by his Department; and what consultation his Department undertook on that timetable prior to its agreement.

Claire Perry: It is not for the Department to approve changes to the timetable. GTR has informed us of their intention to change the timetable in order to provide a more reliable timetable for passengers.

Govia Thameslink Railway: Standards

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) planned and (b) unplanned train service cancellations in each reporting period would place Govia Thameslink Railway in breach of the Remedial Plan agreed with his Department in February 2016.

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) planned and (b) unplanned cancellations of train services operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) under the emergency timetable introduced from 11 July 2016 would place GTR in breach of the level of cancellations set out in the Remedial Plan agreed between GTR and his Department in February 2016.

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the emergency timetable for Southern Rail services to be introduced from 11 July 2016 is in breach of the level of planned service train cancellations set out in the Remedial Plan agreed between Govia Thameslink Railway and his Department in February 2016.

Claire Perry: Under the Franchise Agreement, where GTR can provide the evidence that cancellations are due to official or unofficial industrial action, they can claim Force Majeure, which they have done. The Govia Thameslink Railway Franchise Agreement in Schedule 7.1 sets out the performance benchmarks and financial regime that is in place in relation to cancellations. A copy of the Franchise Agreement can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/govia-thameslink .The department is monitoring the position on a regular basis.

Govia Thameslink Railway: Standards

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions his Department has had with Govia Thameslink Railway on the threshold for (a) planned and (b) unplanned train service cancellations since February 2016.

Claire Perry: We monitor GTR’s performance and we have ongoing discussions with them over the delivery of their train services.

Aviation

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July to Question 41425, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of the UK aviation sector on the implications for (a) that sector and (b) the priorities for his Department's aviation policies of the outcome of the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU.

Mr Robert Goodwill: Officials in my Department have regular discussions with representatives of the aviation sector on a range of issues. The Government’s position on the outcome of the EU referendum is clear: the British people voted for the UK to leave the European Union on 23 June and their will must be respected and delivered. And as My Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister has said, it will be for the Government, under a new Prime Minister, to begin negotiations to exit the EU. Until exit negotiations are concluded, the UK remains a full member of the European Union and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. During this period the Government will continue to negotiate, implement and apply EU legislation. There will be no immediate changes to our aviation priorities as a consequence of the vote, and the Government will continue working to deliver its agenda.

East Anglia Railway Line: Franchises

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 7 March 2016 to Question 29384, for what reasons the announcement of the award of the next East Anglia rail franchise has been delayed; and when he plans to make that announcement.

Claire Perry: The successful bidder will help us realise our ambitious plans for East Anglia’s rail network. We have been clear that as a minimum they must provide a modern service with state of the art trains and also introduce at least two 90-minute services each way between London and Norwich. In addition they must invest heavily in improving stations. We advised an anticipated date for the award and continue to consider the bids. We will announce the new operator in due course.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

EU Staff

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the EU institutions on the job security of UK citizens employed by those institutions.

Mr David Lidington: We are still a member of the European Union and there will be no immediate changes in the circumstances of British citizens elsewhere in the EU. EU institutions have communicated directly to British staff that they continue to have the same rights as other officials of the European Union.

Burma: Religious Buildings

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to encourage the government of Burma to establish an independent investigation into the destruction of buildings in a mosque compound in the Bago Region in central Burma.

Mr Hugo Swire: The recent increase in inter-faith tensions in Burma, the incidents in Bago and Hpakant and anti-Muslim protests in Rakhine State, are extremely concerning. I understand that arrests have been made following the burning of the Muslim prayer hall in Hpakant. I call on the Burmese Government to do everything within its power to tackle hate speech and ensure freedom of religion or belief and rule of law for all Burma’s communities. Our Embassy in Rangoon is continuing to monitor the situation closely.

Iran: Prisoners

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the government of Iran on the cases of (a) Kamal Foroughi and (b) Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Foreign Secretary, my Right Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) last discussed these cases with Foreign Minister Zarif on 4 July. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Director of Consular Services raised all of the detained UK-Iranian dual nationals with the Iranian Chargé d’affaires on 29 June, as did I, with the Iranian Chargé on 18 May. The British Embassy in Tehran continues to raise all our consular cases with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, most recently on 4 July. Iran does not recognise dual nationality of Iranian citizens which prevents information being provided to us about their detention.

Nigeria: Female Genital Mutilation

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to prevent or reduce the incidence of female genital mutilation in Nigeria.

James Duddridge: Female Genital Mutilation is unacceptable and we are committed to working to eradicate this horrific practice.Nigeria is one of 17 countries targeted by the Department for International Development’s £35 million programme working towards ending Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Africa.The programme focuses on three areas: building the evidence base for tackling Female Genital Mutilation, working with the UN on challenging social norms and with governments on policy measures, as well as support for Africa-led campaigns.Our broader development programme in Nigeria also includes initiatives that tackle violence against women and girls. This includes UK support for implementation of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, which criminalises female genital mutilation.

Iraq: Iran

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Iraqi authorities on the rocket attack on Camp Liberty, Baghdad on 4 July 2016.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We strongly condemn the attack against the civilian residents of Camp Liberty in Iraq on 4 July. We have publically called on the Government of Iraq to investigate the attack and bring the attackers to justice. In the coming days officials from our Embassy will raise the attack with the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and make clear the importance of an urgent and comprehensive investigation into the incident.In all of our engagement with the Government of Iraq on this issue, including at Ministerial level and in our statements, we have emphasised the importance of the Iraqi Government doing everything possible to ensure the safety of the residents of Camp Liberty.

NATO

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether Article 2 of the North Atlantic Treaty will be on the agenda of the forthcoming NATO summit.

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to fulfil Article 2 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

Mr David Lidington: NATO Summits do not formally discuss Articles of the Washington Treaty as items of their formal agenda. However, the importance of strong institutions at national level was reflected in several of the themes and topics addressed at the Warsaw Summit on 8-9 July. For example, Allies reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the NATO defence investment targets agreed at the 2014 Wales Summit through national action plans; to improving NATO-EU cooperation in support of a comprehensive approach to security; and to building resilience in the face of hybrid threats, also requiring strong national institutions. NATO remains at the heart of UK defence and security policy and we are at the forefront of NATO’s efforts to modernise and adapt to today’s threat picture. We continue to work through NATO with our key allies across the globe to multiply the effects of our own determined approach, to project stability and increase our collective security, including in line the aims of with Article 2 of the Washington Treaty.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: UK Withdrawal from EU

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2016 to Question 41301, whether he has made an estimate of the total cost to his Department of hiring additional lawyers, financial and trade experts as a result of the outcome of the EU referendum; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 30 June given in response to PQ 41301. Structures and funding required for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are to be determined.

Gibraltar: Spain

Mr Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure (a) the territorial integrity and (b) improved border arrangements with Spain of Gibraltar.

Mr David Lidington: The United Kingdom will continue to stand by Gibraltar. We are confident of the United Kingdom’s sovereignty over the whole of Gibraltar, including British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, and have been firm in our commitment to the double lock. We will continue to protect the rights of the people of Gibraltar to remain British, for as long as they wish to do so.Maintaining a well-functioning Gibraltar-Spain border is one of our top priorities. We welcome the overall downward trend in border delays since their height in 2013, but we are alive to the risk of a return to disproportionate delays at any time. Her Majesty’s Government is working closely with Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar and European partners ahead of proposed changes to the Schengen Border Code later this year to ensure that delays due to security checks are not disproportionate. As we prepare for the process to exit the EU, we will fully involve Gibraltar to ensure that its interests are taken properly into account.

Cayman Islands: LGBT People

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans his Department has to publicly support LGBT rights and progress towards the recognition of same-sex unions in the Cayman Islands.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Work to combat discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people forms an important part of our international human rights work. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office works through our Embassies and High Commissions, and through international organisations, including the Commonwealth, the EU and the UN, to promote tolerance and non-discrimination against LGBT people and to address discriminatory laws, in particular those that criminalise homosexuality. We expect all Overseas Territory governments to comply with their evolving international obligations in the field of human rights and hosted a conference in March this year for Territory representatives to discuss these issues. While we continue to encourage all OT governments to make progress on this agenda, ultimately legislation on recognition of same sex unions is a matter for OT governments.

Islamic State

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to seek a referral to the International Criminal Court of acts committed against religious and ethnic minorities  in Syria and Iraq as genocide.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We are appalled by these acts but we judge that such a referral to the International Criminal Court by the UN Security Council is not practical at this time. When efforts were made by the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the ICC in 2014, this was vetoed by Russia and China. We continue to look at every available option to ensure accountability in Syria and Iraq, and to work with our international partners on what can be done both to assist the victims and to bring those responsible to justice.

MV Seaman Guard Ohio

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Indian counterpart on the release of the British citizens detained after anti-piracy operations by the MV Seaman Guard Ohio.

Mr Hugo Swire: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 7 July given in response to PQ 41797.

Department for International Development

Department for International Development: Pay

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, (a) how much has been paid to officials of her Department as an additional incentive for working overtime on top of their normal overtime payments, (b) how much has been offered to any individual staff member for a one-off occurrence, (c) how many staff received such incentivised additional payments, (d) from which budgets such payments were made and (e) at which Ministerial or official level the business cases or payment approval for such payments was made in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) 2016 to date.

Sir Desmond Swayne: DFID supports staff wellbeing by encouraging people to work regular hours and ensures managers work with them to reprioritise work and avoid overtime. However, as a last resort, where overtime is necessary e.g. to help cope with exceptional or seasonal pressure, the Department either offers time off in lieu (TOIL) or overtime payments for staff up to Grade 6. There are no additional incentives.

Syria: Overseas Aid

Dr Paul Monaghan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to commence aid drops in Syria.

Sir Desmond Swayne: The UK continues to press for sustained humanitarian access to all besieged and hard to reach areas in Syria. We are a core member of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), which demanded in May that the Asad regime allow land access to all besieged areas from 1 June, or the international community would call on the World Food Programme (WFP) to carry out humanitarian airdrops to those areas. This was only necessary because the regime has consistently failed to live up to its commitments under International Humanitarian Law to ensure free, unimpeded access for humanitarian agencies.As a result, June saw improved levels of humanitarian access. Eight besieged locations were reached by road, including Darayya which received its first deliveries of food since 2012. However, seven remained unreached at the end of June. The regime has now agreed in principle road access to all 16 besieged areas requested by the UN in July. The ISSG is working with the UN to hold the regime to this commitment.While delivering aid by road is the best approach to safely deliver the quantities needed and to ensure that it gets to those who need it most, if there is no improvement we must look to the WFP to carry out its plan for airdrops to reach those in need. The ISSG is united in its resolve to ensure full, sustained humanitarian access to the people of Syria.

Philippines: Droughts

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps she has taken to assist people in the Filipino province of Davao del Norte affected by the recent drought.

Sir Desmond Swayne: We are aware of the El Nino induced drought affecting some regions of the Philippines. The Department for International Development have also provided funding to the UK Met Office to provide technical assistance to Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).The Philippines has a well-developed disaster management system that is appropriately resourced; we judge that the impact of El Nino does not exceed the Government of Philippines’s capacity to respond. Should the Philippines require external assistance, Association of Southeast Asian Nations should constitute the first line of international response.

Middle East: Refugees

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the Middle East on steps to tackle the refugee crisis in that region.

Sir Desmond Swayne: The UK is at the forefront of international efforts to support over 4.8 million Syrian refugees to remain in host countries in the region until it is safe to return to Syria, and to support host countries to accommodate them. As part of this, we are working in partnership with host countries to help them to expand job and education opportunities for refugees in a way that will enable them to better support themselves and give them skills for the future, and we are helping host countries to cope with the impact of refugees on local services. The UK co-hosted the “Supporting Syria and the Region” conference in London in February, at which neighbouring governments made bold commitments to open up their labour markets to refugees, to improve regulation and the investment climate in their countries, and to ensure all children in their countries have access to quality education. The Secretary of State for International Development continues to lead engagement with regional partners on tackling the refugee crisis, including by delivering on the commitments made at the London Conference, which will help to create 1.1 million jobs and provide quality education to 1.7 million children by the end of the 2016/17 school year. At the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings in April she convened meetings between regional governments, the UN and World Bank and held bilateral discussions with key Ministers. And at the World Humanitarian Summit in May, she and other London Conference co-chairs convened a meeting of all interested parties to discuss and review progress.Looking forward, we will be using UN General Assembly in September as an important moment to review progress with key leaders on the Syria Conference implementation, including how all parties are all delivering on their commitments to support refugees in the region.

Department for Education

Schools: Finance

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to publish a response to the finding of the National Union of Teachers survey, published in March 2016, that 70 per cent of school leaders believed that a lack of school funding was affecting education standards in their schools.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Funding for education is a priority for this government. As announced at the Spending Review, we have protected the core schools budget in real terms. This year the schools budget will total around £40 billion. We are also committed to making funding fairer by introducing a national funding formula. A national funding formula will ensure that all schools are on an even starting point from which to build educational excellence. This is because a national funding formula will recognise pupil need, and pupils with similar needs will attract the same amount of funding wherever they are in the country.

Department for Education: Pay

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, (a) how much has been paid to officials of her Department as an additional incentive for working overtime on top of their normal overtime payments, (b) how much has been offered to any individual staff member for a one-off occurrence, (c) how many staff received such incentivised additional payments, (d) from which budgets such payments were made and (e) at which Ministerial or official level the business cases or payment approval for such payments was made in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) 2016 to date.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not make additional incentive payments to staff for working overtime and has not done so in the last five years.

Schools: Admissions

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the ability of schools to meet demand in each of the next 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of school places available in each of the next 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that there are sufficient school places to meet that need, and for determining precisely how many new places are needed in their area.Supporting local authorities to create additional school places is one of the Government’s top priorities. We allocate funding for new school places to local authorities three years in advance, in order to balance the need for robust forecasts with the need to ensure certainty for local authorities over their future funding allocations. We have committed to spending £7 billion on school places up to 2021, which along with our investment in the free schools programme we expect to deliver 600,000 new places. This is in addition to the £5 billion allocated by the Coalition Government between 2011 and 2015. Further information on basic need allocations can be found on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/basic-need-allocations

Parkfield School Christchurch

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what date the Education Funding Agency applied to Christchurch Borough Council for planning permission to erect temporary classrooms for Parkfield School at Hurn; and on what date that application was withdrawn.

Edward Timpson: The planning application for temporary accommodation for Parkfield School at Hurn was made on 9 May 2016 and withdrawn on 1 July 2016.

Parkfield School Christchurch

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the estimated cost to the public purse is of the further delay in Parkfield School being able to move to the new site in Hurn.

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the latest estimate is of the cost of works to the new premises of Parkfield School at Hurn; and on what date those works will be completed.

Edward Timpson: Capital costs for free schools are published following practical completion once the buildings are occupied and all costs are known.The project will have a sectional completion with blocks completed from October 2016 to August 2017. The majority of the school will be ready for occupation from Easter 2017.

Parkfield School Christchurch

Mr Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether all asbestos has been removed from the proposed premises for Parkfield School at Hurn, Christchurch; what works have been carried out to achieve this; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Timpson: Removal works commenced on 11 July and will take six weeks. There is the potential for asbestos between steel joists and these will be encapsulated over a four week period. The total asbestos work will be completed by September 2016.

National Curriculum Tests

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to publish additional sample test material ahead of the 2017 SATs.

Nick Gibb: The Standards and Testing Agency will not be producing any additional sample tests prior to the 2017 tests. We produced sample tests prior to the 2016 National Curriculum tests to provide exemplification of the new tests. As there will be no further changes to the tests in 2017, schools can now refer to the 2015 sample tests and the 2016 live tests for exemplification of the tests in 2017 and any future tests.

National Curriculum Tests

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to modify the level of difficulty in the SATs tests for 2017.

Nick Gibb: There are no plans to modify the difficulty of the National Curriculum tests for 2017. The tests are constructed to meet the test specification outlined in the test frameworks.

Religion: Education

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the reasons are for the omission of any substantive reference to religious education in the Educational Excellence Everywhere white paper, published by her Department in March 2016; and how the level of provision of such education will be benchmarked in (a) local authority schools and (b) academies.

Nick Gibb: The white paper sets out the Government’s plans for the next five years, building on and extending our reforms to achieve educational excellence everywhere. The white paper is clear that we will ensure a knowledge-rich curriculum is complemented by the development of the character traits and fundamental British values that will help children succeed, and that includes encouraging mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith.We believe in the importance of Religious Education (RE) to develop children’s knowledge of the values and traditions of Britain and other countries, and to foster understanding among different faiths and cultures. That is why RE remains compulsory at all Key Stages and why all schools have a duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum.Local authorities are responsible for providing an agreed syllabus for their local area which must reflect the fact that the religious traditions in Great Britain are in the main Christian whilst taking account of the teaching and practices of the other principal religions represented in Great Britain. Maintained schools without a religious designation must follow the agreed syllabus. Voluntary controlled schools and foundation schools with a religious designation follow the locally agreed syllabus, unless parents request a denominational syllabus.Academies without a religious designation can either follow the locally agreed syllabus, or develop their own syllabus that meets the same requirements as a locally agreed syllabus.Voluntary aided schools and academies with a religious designation can teach RE in accordance with their trust deeds and/or the tenets of their faith.

Children: Obesity

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of (a) getting young people engaged in sport and fitness early and (b) encouraging schools to implement initiatives such as The Daily Mile in order to help combat obesity in children.

Edward Timpson: This government is committed to promoting physical activity among young people and we want all pupils to be healthy and active. PE remains a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the national curriculum, and this sets out the expectation that pupils should be physically active for sustained periods of time. Schools have the flexibility to use the primary PE and sport premium, worth £160m this year, to improve the quality of the physical activity offer to their pupils. From 2017 we are doubling the primary PE and sport premium to £320m a year, and the forthcoming childhood obesity strategy will contain a number of measures which will complement our existing policies to promote physical activity for primary pupils.

Religion: Education

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the Government ensures that schools are held accountable for their statutory responsibilities in respect of the provision of religious education.

Nick Gibb: Religious education (RE) is compulsory in all state-funded schools, including academies and free schools. As part of Ofsted school inspections, inspectors consider whether schools are providing a broad and balanced curriculum, which meets pupils’ needs and statutory requirements. If it becomes evident during the course of an inspection that a school is not teaching RE, this should be reflected in the school’s inspection report. Faith schools are required to arrange a separate inspection of denominational religious education and collective worship, leading to published reports. Every school must have a complaint procedure. If an individual is concerned that a school is not teaching religious education, they should follow the schools’ complaint procedure in the first instance. If the complaint is not resolved, then the issue can be escalated to the Department’s School Complaints Unit for maintained schools, or the Education Funding Agency for academies, free schools, university technical colleges or studio schools. Information about complaint procedures for schools can be found at www.gov.uk/complain-about-school.

Academies

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2016 to Question 40823, at how many academies did each regional school commissioner take formal intervention measures in 2015.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Academies

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2016 to Question 40823, how many applications to expand a multi academy trust were refused in each year since 2010.

Edward Timpson: Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) do not formally apply to their Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) for approval to expand. Rather, it is the individual academy or free school seeking to join the MAT that applies to the RSC. These decisions are made on a school-by-school basis. As at 23 June 2016, 66% of all open academies and free schools are part of a MAT. In the 2015/16 academic year to date, over 90% of new academies opened as part of a MAT.Whilst the department does not record the number of rejected applications from schools seeking to convert to academy status and join a MAT, the Department does publish details of all academy and free schools that are in the pipeline. This data is published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-academies-and-academy-projects-in-development and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-schools-open-schools-and-successful-applicationsWe also publish a note of headteacher board meetings, which include RSC’s decisions on individual projects, stating whether they were approved, deferred or declined, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/schools-commissioners-group/about

Academies: Collective Worship

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many academies applied for an exemption from providing a broadly Christian daily act of collective worship in each year since 2010; and how many of those schools were defined as non-faith.

Edward Timpson: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: UK Withdrawal from EU

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of which policy areas within his Department's remit will be affected by the outcome of the EU referendum.

Mr Edward Vaizey: The Prime Minister has been clear that the negotiation for Britain's future relationship with Europe will need to begin under a new Prime Minister, and we have now got to look at all the detailed arrangements. In the meantime, Departments continue working to deliver the Government agenda.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bovine Tuberculosis

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many areas will be involved in the badger cull in 2016; and what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of that cull.

George Eustice: Decisions on licence applications will be announced before the start of badger control operations. The cost will depend on the number of applicants authorised to proceed.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) tuberculin skin tests and (b) gamma interferon tests have been conducted in each year since 2010; and how many cases of bovine TB have been detected by each method.

George Eustice: a). Tuberculin skin tests carried out each year between 2010 and 2015 in England:-  2010201120122013201420155,367,5535,496,0515,857,6606,283,1856,927,0967,300,970  b). Number of gamma interferon tests carried out each year between 2010 and 2015 in England:- 20102011201220132014201516,27416,13126,11734,09665,53674,509  Gamma interferon tests are supplementary blood tests, which are performed in herds already under TB restrictions to supplement the skin test and speed up the detection of infected animals. Therefore, such tests could not generate any new herd breakdowns (‘cases’) in 2010-2015. i.e. the number of new cases of bTB detected by gamma interferon tests in England in all those years was nil. All the new cases of bTB were detected by skin testing of cattle herds or individual animals, with the exception of a small proportion that were first identified through routine post-mortem meat inspection of cattle. Slaughterhouse cases trigger approximately 15% of the total number of new bTB breakdowns detected each year in England.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what her policy is on making all outstanding back payments to commoners entitled to payments under the Single Farm Payment Scheme; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: As of 3 July 86,760 (99.6%) of farmers have received a payment on their 2015 BPS claim. The Rural Payments Agency continues to focus on making top up payments, to those farmers who have already received a bridging payment, including those with common land on their claim. In addition the Rural Payments Agency will be making additional payments due as a result of the Minchinhampton and Rodborough Judicial Review.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assistance her Department is giving to landowners to facilitate the work of land agents in trial badger culls; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: Communication with both landowners and land agents in their area is a matter for the cull companies. Natural England as licensing authority can provide advice to companies who have specific queries on matters relating to licencing requirements.

Food: Origin Marking

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the accuracy of information provided by supermarkets to consumers on country of origin status of food; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: In 2011, Defra facilitated a set of industry principles on country of origin labelling. These principles ensure that the vast majority of fresh produce, meat, milk and dairy products sold at retail in Britain are clearly labelled with their country of origin. Most food law enforcement is delegated to local authorities throughout the UK to carry out checks of all food businesses in their area to ensure compliance with food safety, traceability and labelling requirements. Local Trading Standards Authorities have an enforcement role with respect to ensuring that general food labelling rules are complied with. The main role for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in combatting misleading labelling of food is to provide assistance and resources to UK local authorities. To support this, the FSA makes funding available to UK Enforcement Authorities for sampling and surveillance of food to help ensure risk-based, targeted checks on food products throughout the food chain. Food labelling and country of origin labelling have been prioritised in the current programme (2016/17) and details can be found on the food.gov.uk website.

Digital Mapping

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the accuracy of digital mapping; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: The Rural Payments Agency is responsible for administering payments for Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) schemes, using a digital mapping system. The digital mapping system’s land data is constantly updated through a range of measures such as aerial photography and satellite imagery. The Rural Payments Agency ensures that data is fully refreshed every five years. However, the agency is undertaking a land data improvement project to reduce this to three years by 2017.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2016 to Question 40362, (a) for what reason the Government has concentrated gamma interferon testing outside the high risk areas and (b) what assessment she has made of the effect of the reduced number of gamma interferon tests in high risk areas on the incidence and spread of bovine TB.

George Eustice: Supplementary interferon gamma blood testing improves the detection of infected cattle in TB affected herds in the Low Risk and Edge Areas of England reducing the risk of TB taking hold in parts of the country where the disease is not yet endemic. Information published by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) on gov.uk shows more supplementary interferon gamma tests in the High Risk Area in each of the years 2012 to 2015 than in 2009. We continue to explore options for wider deployment of this test in the High Risk Area.www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/532709/ATIC0882.pdf

Floods: Lancashire

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department has taken to reduce the likelihood of future flooding in Whalley, Ribchester and surrounding areas.

Rory Stewart: The Environment Agency (EA) has spent approximately £750,000 on flood defence schemes in the villages of Slaidburn and Bolton by Bowland over the last decade. Since the December 2015 flooding, the EA has given one-to-one help and advice to over 100 residents. As part of the works to repair bank erosion at Whalley Bridge, the EA is contributing £20,000 to reduce flood risk by removing gravel from the river channel. Currently there is a review of flood risk in the Lower Calder which will develop options and predicted costs to address the Main River flooding. The EA aims to report at the end of the year. In 2017, a review of flood risk in Ribchester will commence. Lancashire County Council is currently bidding for £2 million in Grant in Aid to address surface water flooding in Whalley and Billington. The Environment Agency’s flood and coastal erosion risk management investment programme is refreshed annually to accommodate change, maximise opportunities and integrate new projects. The Regional Flood and Coastal Committee will endorse changes and new additions to the programme, which are then prioritised nationally according to the partnership funding process.

Agriculture

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish her Department's 25 year plan on food and farming.

George Eustice: Work on the 25 Year Food and Farming Plan is currently on hold following the result of the EU Referendum. We now have an opportunity to consider our long term vision for food and farming outside of the EU. We look forward to continuing to work with a wide range of interests to develop that vision and to work together to deliver it. It remains essential that the UK has a thriving food and farming industry with high animal welfare and environmental standards, access to international markets and a long term commitment to boosting productivity through innovation and skills. We are now focused on taking forward the actions that support these objectives, and continuing to develop our long term vision, in a different context.

Nature Conservation

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effect of the vote to leave the EU on her policy on the EU nature directives; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: Until we leave the EU, current arrangements for farming, fisheries, food and drink, rural affairs and our environment remain in place. Defra will continue to ensure the right policies are in place for a cleaner, healthier environment for everyone. The priorities for negotiating our exit from the EU will be a matter for the new Prime Minister and their Cabinet.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

District Heating

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2016 to Question 41211, what steps she plans to take to ensure that heat networks provide value for money for customers.

Andrea Leadsom: We are putting consumers at the heart of the heat network programme.DECC published the Heat Network Investment Project consultation last week[1]. The consultation explicitly says one of the key criteria for receiving funding will be value for money for consumers. We are also consulting on whether to make our support conditional on schemes signing up to Heat Trust and the ADE/CIBSE Code of Practice. The consultation closes on 3 August. [1] Heat Networks Investment Project: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/532483/HNIP_consultation_vFINAL.pdf

Private Rented Housing: Energy

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment her Department has made of the effect that the introduction of minimum energy efficiency standards for the private rented sector will have on the number of homes in that sector which meet those standards.

Andrea Leadsom: Under the Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property)(England and Wales) Regulations 2015, all landlords of domestic and non-domestic privately rented property in England and Wales will need to ensure that, from 1 April 2018, their properties reach at least an energy performance rating of E before granting a tenancy to new or existing tenants, unless a prescribed exemption applies. Based on the most recent English Housing Survey data, DECC has estimated that, as of 2015, there were approximately 330,000 domestic PRS properties in England and Wales with an energy performance rating below E. Landlords will need to ensure that energy efficiency improvements are made to these properties to raise their energy efficiency ratings to a minimum of E, unless a valid exemption applies.

Energy: Imports

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2016 to Question 41418, whether she plans to start making projections of the cost of energy imports by the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department for Energy and Climate Change has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Renewable Energy

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate she has made of the proportion of electricity that will be produced from renewable sources in (a) 2020, (b) 2030 and (c) 2040.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department for Energy and Climate Change has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Attorney General

Attorney General: Pay

Sarah Champion: To ask the Attorney General, how much has been paid to officials of the Law Officers' Departments as an additional incentive for working overtime on top of their normal overtime payments in (a) each of the last five years and (b) 2016 to date; how much has been offered to any individual staff member for a one-off occurrence; how many staff received such incentivised additional payments; from which budgets such payments were made; and at which Ministerial or official level the business cases or payment approval for such payments was made.

Robert Buckland: No such payments have been made by any of the Law Officers’ Departments during the period 1 April 2011 to date.

Wales Office

Legislation: Wales

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proportion of legislation currently in force applies to Wales only.

Alun Cairns: The Government has made no assessment of the proportion of legislation currently in force that applies to Wales only.The quantum of law made by the National Assembly for Wales is, and will remain, small compared to the body of law that is common to England and Wales.

Rural Areas: Wales

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps the Government is taking to improve the (a) electronic and (b) physical connectivity of rural villages in Wales.

Guto Bebb: We are introducing the Universal Service Obligation, guaranteeing internet connectivity to half a million rural properties throughout the UK that fall outside existing plans. We have also secured deals with the Mobile Network Operators to deliver mobile coverage to 90% of the UK’s landmass and to 95% of premises in Wales.Recognising the importance of transport costs to rural communities, we have frozen fuel duty for six successive years, the longest freeze for 40 years.

Ministry of Justice

Berwyn Prison

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many posts have been advertised at HM Prison Berwyn for which Welsh language skills were stipulated as (a) essential and (b) desirable; and what proportion of (i) advertised posts and (ii) total posts such posts represented in the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of appointments to HM Prison Berwyn have been of bilingual Welsh and English speakers; and what proportion such staff are of the total employed at that prison.

Andrew Selous: All external adverts for posts at HMP Berwyn have been published in both English and Welsh language.Posts did not stipulate Welsh language skills as a requirement, but we expect Welsh and English to be spoken by at least some staff in all functional areas.Data on the number of bilingual Welsh and English speakers appointed is not collected centrally.

Prisons: Emergency Calls

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many 999 calls were made by each prison establishment as a result of substance misuse including alcohol and new psychoactive substances in the last six months; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Selous: Information about the frequency of emergency call-outs to prisons is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Berwyn Prison

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what weight is given to the ability to provide services in the Welsh language when assessing tenders for (a) learning and skills and (b) industries at HM Prison Berwyn.

Andrew Selous: The Learning and Skills and Prison Industries Competitions are both in progress. The final evaluation criteria is under development and details are neither finalised nor in the public domain. On that basis the draft evaluation criteria which detail the weightings are currently commercially sensitive and cannot be released at this stage. However, the contracts for both services will include clauses requiring compliance in relation to Welsh language. The evaluation takes into account a variety of measures and the assessment of Welsh language is being considered as part of the on-going work to finalise evaluation criteria and other tender documentation.

Prisons: Overcrowding

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the prison population was above its operational capacity in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Andrew Selous: NOMS publishes the Prison Population and Operational Capacity figures every Friday, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prison-population-statistics We are committed to ensuring that there are enough places for offenders sentenced to custody by the courts and in providing safe, decent and secure places for those held in custody.

Cabinet Office

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Tim Farron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make arrangements for opposition party leaders or their nominated representatives to be granted advance sight of the conclusions of the Chilcot Report prior to that Report's publication.

Matthew Hancock: Holding answer received on 05 July 2016



Yes.

Government Departments: Location

David Mackintosh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to encourage Government-funded agencies and departments to move their offices outside London.

Matthew Hancock: Plans are in place for the creation of multi-departmental government Hubs in strategic locations outside London. These will further consolidate our office estate, whilst helping to attract and retain staff by stronger collaboration between departments and enabling staff to grow careers locally. We are consolidating our estate in central London and, since 2010, have reduced the number of offices from 181 to 54. Rationalisation will continue, enabling more multi-departmental use of HQ buildings and civil servant moves to peripheries where property costs are lower.

Civil Servants: Recruitment

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the outcome of the EU referendum on future levels of recruitment of civil servants.

Matthew Hancock: It is too early following the EU referendum to make a detailed assessment of its impact on the future recruitment levels of Civil Servants.Earlier this year, departments published their Single Departmental Plans (SDPs), setting out the key programmes of work required to deliver the Government’s Manifesto commitments. Departments have been developing plans to ensure they have the workforce required to deliver their SDPs, and this has not changed following the referendum.Inevitably, leaving the EU will impact on the shape, size, skills and type of workforce we need but it is important that we understand our future workforce requirements and plan for these in a considered, coordinated and consistent manner across the Civil Service. The Cabinet Office is playing, and will continue to, play, a key role in facilitating this across the Civil Service.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Owen Thompson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what support the Government plans to provide to veterans of the Iraq Conflict who are concerned by the findings of the Chilcot Report and its implications for their service records.

Matthew Hancock: Holding answer received on 07 July 2016



The report of the Chilcot Inquiry was published on 6 July and is available to access online in searchable format. The Government takes very seriously its responsibility to all military veterans, especially those who have been injured in conflict, and a range of support mechanisms are available to Iraq veterans where required, including support in the transition to civilian life and access to pension and compensation schemes where injured as a result of their service. We will, of course, engage with and support any individuals who are concerned by any findings of Sir John Chilcot’s report.

Civil Servants: Pensions

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many retired civil servants have (a) not received an annual benefit statement and (b) received such a statement late from MyCSP in each of the last 12 months.

Matthew Hancock: Retired Civil Servants are not entitled to receive Annual Benefit Statements.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Owen Thompson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to provide similar support for injured veterans of the Iraq conflict following the publication of the Chilcot Report to that provided to the next of kin of people who lost their lives in that conflict.

Matthew Hancock: Holding answer received on 07 July 2016



The report of the Chilcot Inquiry was published on 6 July and is available to access online in searchable format. The Government takes very seriously its responsibility to all military veterans, especially those who have been injured in conflict, and a range of support mechanisms are available to Iraq veterans where required, including support in the transition to civilian life and access to pension and compensation schemes where injured as a result of their service. We will, of course, engage with and support any individuals who are concerned by any findings of Sir John Chilcot’s report.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Owen Thompson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2016 to Question 38697, what steps his Department has taken to provide injured veterans of the Iraq conflict with free copies of the Chilcot Report.

Matthew Hancock: Holding answer received on 07 July 2016



The report of the Chilcot Inquiry was published on 6 July and is available to access online in searchable format. The Government takes very seriously its responsibility to all military veterans, especially those who have been injured in conflict, and a range of support mechanisms are available to Iraq veterans where required, including support in the transition to civilian life and access to pension and compensation schemes where injured as a result of their service. We will, of course, engage with and support any individuals who are concerned by any findings of Sir John Chilcot’s report.

Civil Servants: Pensions

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many cases marked as urgent are currently waiting resolution by MyCSP.

Matthew Hancock: There are no cases currently marked as urgent awaiting processing by MyCSP.

Civil Servants: Pensions

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many telephone calls MyCSP has received in each month since September 2014; and how many of those calls were abandoned before being answered in each of those months.

Matthew Hancock: The telephony statistics for the period September 2014 to June 2016 are as follows: MonthCalls OfferedCalls HandledSep-143552028621Oct-147723943837Nov-145589435897Dec-143739632975Jan-154188430070Feb-154607830915Mar-155862050038Apr-156198658376May-154993647373Jun-154459043251Jul-154151340657Aug-153315132022Sep-153525034664Oct-153430734055Nov-153101130908Dec-152646526293Jan-163492934611Feb-163590135598Mar-163429433990Apr-164072740435May-163356933192Jun-163220531735

Civil Servants: Pensions

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many retired civil servants have been adversely affected by the performance of MyCSP since that company has been responsible for the processing of pension payments to those people; and if he will take steps to guarantee that no retired civil servant will suffer financial loss as a result of the performance of that company.

Matthew Hancock: MyCSP inherited 5,579 late payment cases when it took on responsibility for the processing of pensions payments in September 2014. As at November 2014, the average delay for those not receiving their lump sum by the due date was 2 weeks. By January 2015, the number of cases of delayed payment had been reduced to 1,197, all of which were cleared by the end of June 2015, following an agreed period of stabilisation. Where a member can provide evidence of financial loss due to delay in receipt of pension caused by MyCSP compensation will be awarded.

Cabinet Office: Pay

Sarah Champion: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, (a) how much has been paid to officials of his Department as an additional incentive for working overtime on top of their normal overtime payments, (b) how much has been offered to any individual staff member for a one-off occurrence, (c) how many staff received such incentivised additional payments, (d) from which budgets such payments were made and (e) at which Ministerial or official level the business cases or payment approval for such payments was made in (i) each of the last five years and (ii) 2016 to date.

Matthew Hancock: The Cabinet Office has a policy which allows staff to claim for excess hours that they work, when they are required to do so as a result of business needs of the department. Staff are not paid additional incentives outside of the normal policy for paying overtime.

Cabinet Office: UK Withdrawal from EU

Emma Reynolds: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the remit and composition is of the Cabinet Office unit charged with examining the options and possibilities of negotiating the UK's exit from the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Oliver Letwin: The Europe Unit will bring together officials and policy expertise from across the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Foreign Office and BIS. It will be based in the Cabinet Office and report to Cabinet on possible mechanisms for delivering the outcome of the referendum, advising on transitional issues and exploring objectively options for our future relationship with Europe and the rest of the world.

UK Withdrawal from EU

Mr Douglas Carswell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what contingency planning the Government undertook in the event of a vote to leave the EU.

Mr Oliver Letwin: The Government had a clear position on the referendum and it was right for the civil service to work in support of that. We now have clear instructions from the British people and Government will of course work to take those instructions forward.

Voluntary Work: Young People

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much was spent on each young person taking part in the National Citizens Service (NCS) in each of the last three financial years; how much is received by a regional provider to deliver the NCS programme to each young person; how much is spent by the NCS Trust on all activity other than that given to a regional provider to deliver the NCS programme; how much is given to the NCS Trust for each young person to undertake the entirety of NCS-related activity; and how much is spent annually by the NCS Trust on marketing and recruitment.

Mr Rob Wilson: The Cabinet Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

UK Membership of EU: Referendums

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment the Electoral Commission has made of the potential merits of using the electoral registration data relating to the recent EU referendum as baseline data for the boundary review of parliamentary constituencies.

John Penrose: The Electoral Commission does not have responsibility for this issue and the Government is not aware of any recent assessment made by them on this matter. The Government remains committed to addressing the unfairness of current Parliamentary boundaries by making votes of more equal value. Changing the base data for the review now would risk the work of the Boundary Commissions not being implemented for the next election, meaning that the next general election would be fought on the basis of registers that are up to 20 years old.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Cabinet Office EU Unit

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Prime Minister's oral statement of 27 June 2016, Official Report, column 23, on the outcome of the EU referendum, which officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be appointed to the new EU Unit.

Mr Oliver Letwin: The new EU unit will bring together officials and policy expertise from across Whitehall. Structures and staffing are being determined.

Cabinet Office EU Unit

Louise Haigh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many civil servants he plans to employ in the new EU Unit once that unit is at full capacity.

Mr Oliver Letwin: The new Europe Unit will bring together officials and policy expertise from across Whitehall. Structures and staffing are being determined.

Electoral Register

Dr James Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish statistics on the size of the UK electorate by age band on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



UKSA Letter for Member - UK Electorate Age
(PDF Document, 65.19 KB)

EU Staff

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Government Department or Executive Agency will be responsible for looking after the interests and pension rights of UK nationals working for EU institutions during the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Oliver Letwin: UK nationals employed by the EU Institutions are subject to the EU Staff Regulations. The FCO and the Cabinet Office are in discussions with the EU Institutions and UK nationals employed by them to ensure that their interests are safeguarded.

Public Inquiries

Sir David Amess: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if the Government will bring forward proposals to limit the duration of public inquiries.

Matthew Hancock: The running of a public inquiry is normally a matter for the independent Chair. However, good practice is that when establishing a public inquiry, Departments should seek to include in the terms of reference an estimate of the likely duration of the Inquiry.